Beacon's Newest Arrival
by mak133
Summary: When the adopted cousin of Ruby and Yang comes to Beacon, he is placed on the team with our favorite four heroines. Can he melt the "Weiss" cold heart of Beacon's resident Snow Angel? Set after the events of Volume One.
1. Chapter One: Been Gone For Too Long

Chapter One: Been Gone For Too Long

The sun was setting over the tranquil city of Vale. The evening rush hour was slowing down and the shops were beginning to close. An airship slowly arrived at the city's port. The wings folded as the aircraft pulled into the dock.

"The Atlas-Vale shuttle has arrived at Docking Bay C-26. Welcome to Vale and enjoy your stay." A female's voice said over the intercom. The shuttle doors opened and a small wave of people began to trickle out. After a few minutes, the airship was all but empty, save for one passanger in a gray hoodie, black jeans, and a backpack. His hood concealed his identity as he looked at a large screen that displayed the news. He stared intently as the news anchor began her report.

"Reports are coming in that the attack on the Vale Ship Yard last week was the work of none other than the White Fang. This is the latest in a string of attacks committed by the radical faunus group over the past few months. This begs the question, what are they after, and just how far are they willing to go to get it?"

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and finally turned to walk out of the shuttle. He stepped out into the dimming light of the sun as it sank into the horizon and walked down the road. He continued walking down the block until a small establishment caught his eye; a brick building just off to his left. The lettering above the door read, "Bentley's Bar", and a blazing neon green "Open" sign hummed in the window. The mysterious figure opened the door and strolled inside.

The place was empty except for the bartender, who was cleaning dishes at the sink. He was an older man with brown hair and a handlebar mustache. The bartender dropped what he was doing and perked up at the sound of a patron entering his establishment.

"Evenin'!" He said enthusiastically as the stranger sat down at the bar, "What can I do ya for?"

The mysterious man pulled back his hood, revealing a kid in his late teens. He had short brown hair, a faint five o'clock shadow, and eyes that were a deep sapphire-blue. With a friendly smile on his face, he ordered his drink. "I'll have a bottle of Corstall Cola, if you have it."

"I certainly do!" The bartender said, bending down underneath the counter. He came back with a green glass bottle of soda and set it in front of the kid.

"Thanks." The young man said as he pulled back his sleeve, unveiling a silver gauntlet that encased his left forearm. He raised his fist in front of him and two 12 inch steel claws shot out of the gauntlet on the right and left spaces in his knuckles. He used one of his claws to pry the cap off of the bottle before they receded back into the gauntlet with a brief metal-on-metal screech.

The bartender raised an eyebrow, "With weapons like that, you must have gone to Signal Academy."

"I did," The kid said, taking a sip of the green soda, "But that was a few years ago. I've been away for a while."

"My daughter, Velvet, went there; it's a good school. She's attending Beacon this year."

"I think I remember her," The kid said as he gripped the bottle neck with his thumb and index finger, "She's a Faunus with rabbit ears, right?"

"Yep!" The bartender replied. He turned around and showed the kid his bushy rabbit tail, "It runs in the family!"

"Ah!" The kid said, "I'm half-Faunus, myself!" He was about to take another swig from the bottle, but then he froze. He set the bottle down, closed his eyes, and with a long sigh, he slumped in his seat, and with a smirk on his face he said, "Damn it, Qrow."

The bartender's eyes widened, "Is something wrong?"

"I was hoping to do this on my own terms." He spoke to himself out loud. The teenager slowly looked up and directly addressed the bartender, "Listen, if something happens to the bar, I'll pay for the damages."

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll find out soon enough." The kid said.

Before the bartender could respond, there was a deep rumbling throughout the bar and the roaring sound of a motorcycle could be heard getting louder and louder outside. The teen flipped his hood over his head, silently nursed his soda, and looked down at the counter top. The motorcycle stopped outside the door and idled for a moment before completely shutting down.

The young man heard the door open behind him and a familiar scent entered his nostrils. The sound of footsteps filled the otherwise quiet room. He felt chills run down his spine. The footsteps soon fell silent and a bar stool screeched as it was pulled out from right beside him. He then heard the voice that he had been dreading.

Addressing the bartender, a young lady spoke, "I'll have a Strawberry Sunrise, no ice, and don't forget the little umbrella."

The bartender warily gathered the ingredients to make the drink that the girl had requested.

"Is your name, Bentley?" She asked, patiently waiting for her drink.

"Yes, ma'am!" The bartender now known as Bentley replied, trying to maintain his upbeat demeanor, although he was clearly nervous.

The young man didn't look up from the counter, but he felt her piercing gaze turn in his direction. It burned through him like a laser beam. "How 'bout you, Jack? You got a name?"

"You know I do, Yang." He replied before taking a swig from his bottle.

Bentley finished mixing her drink and topped it off with the umbrella that Yang had requested before sliding it in her direction. "Yeah, Mason, I know you do." She said before taking a sip from her drink, "I know that you've been gone for over a year and that you left me and Ruby, the two closest things that you have to sisters, without so much as a note."

The young man's name was Mason. His father had corrupted the once peaceful White Fang into something feared and terrible. After his father died, He was adopted by Ruby and Yang's Uncle Qrow at a very young age. He grew up with Yang and Ruby and although they were his adopted cousins, Mason often thought of them as his sisters. Now he sat next to Yang and his head sunk closer and closer to the counter with every passing second.

"But above all," She moved her mouth closer to his head until it was right up against where his ear was located behind his hood and whispered, "I know how much I missed you!"

Mason slowly turned his head and faced Yang for the first time in more than a year. She had the same fire in her violet eyes that she'd had since they were little kids. Mason had seen her angry plenty of times, and from the smile that engulfed her face, he could tell that this was not one of those times.

Yang threw her arms around Mason's neck, locking him in a cross between a hug and a choke hold. The resulting force knocked them both off of the bar stools and onto the floor. Yang still held on tightly as the two of them hit the ground.

Mason finally found his bearings and returned Yang's embrace, "You're not mad at me for leaving?"

"Of course not! By blood or not, you're like my brother!" She pulled back and looked him in the eyes. He looked exactly like he did when he left, only with a hint of a beard. "Uncle Qrow told us that you left to learn more about your real father."

Mason nodded, "I did. He bastardized the White Fang and created an organization that stands for violence. He was never my father. Qrow will always be my dad." He stood up and held out his hand to Yang, "I assume he's the one who told you where I was?"

Yang grabbed his hand and he pulled her to her feet, "Yeah, you know how well connected he is."

Mason laughed, "Yeah, I never could get away with much as a kid."

The two of them looked over at the bar, where Bentley slowly stood up from underneath the counter. "Is it...over?" He asked, his voice cracking in the process.

Yang looked at Mason, "What's up with him?"

Mason scratched the back of his head, "I kind of...left him under the impression that you would, uh, maybe... destroy the bar."

Yang shrugged her shoulders, "Well, it wouldn't be the first time."

They both picked up their seats and sat back down at the bar. Yang finished her drink with a large gulp and said, "So, I have a proposition for you."

Mason looked in her direction, "And what's that?"

"Qrow set up a meeting with you and Professor Ozpin, Beacon's Headmaster." Yang stated as she threw her arm over his shoulder, "He wants you to attend Beacon."

Mason sat down his soda, "I don't know, Yang. I only just got back..."

"Look," She said, poking her finger at his forehead, "You want to make a difference in the world, right?"

Mason thought of all the evil that his biological father had created with the White Fang and imagined what he could do to combat it. "Yes, more than anything."

"Then come with me to Beacon and meet with Professor Ozpin." She said, standing up from her seat, "Ruby and I miss you." Yang tossed the lien that she owed Bentley on the counter and started towards the door. But before she left, Yang turned around, "But it's up to you, Tiger."

Mason smiled at the nickname she had given him when they were children. He stared at the empty Corstall bottle in front of him and made up his mind. He reached in his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, "Thanks, Bentley," He dropped some lien onto the counter and walked toward the door, "I'll see you around."

Bentley looked at the money that Mason had placed on the counter, "This is more than what you owe me!"

Mason turned around and smiled, "I know." He gave Bentley one last nod before walking out the door.

Yang was waiting outside next to her bright yellow motorcycle, "I knew you'd come!"

"You know me," Mason said enthusiastically as he slung his backpack over his shoulder, "I love an adventure!"

Yang handed him her spare helmet and mounted the motorcycle, "Well you're coming to the right place!"

Mason straddled the back seat of the bike and braced himself, "Wait, back in the bar you made it sound like Ruby was going to Beacon too."

Yang revved the motor, "She is!"

"But how can that be? She's only 15, right?"

"It's a long story," Yang strapped on her helmet, "I'll tell you when we get there!"

Yang revved the engine one more time before popping a wheelie and rocketing off into the evening twilight.


	2. Chapter Two: Welcome To Beacon

Chapter Two: Welcome To Beacon

The wind screamed through Mason's ears as Yang floored her motorcycle through the streets of Vale. She dodged and weaved what little traffic remained on the tight streets. The sun had disappeared below the horizon and the shattered moon was now peering through the gaps in the buildings.

"You still alive back there?!" Yang yelled over her shoulder.

Mason leaned forward so that she could hear him, "Yeah," Her golden hair was whipping around in his face, "Surprisingly, I am!"

She laughed jokingly, "Better hold on tight, Tiger!" Yang took a hard right into an adjacent street, nearly throwing Mason from the passenger's seat, "Wouldn't want you to end up as road kill, now would we?"

"Preferably not!" He said as he tried to regain his balance. The road led to a tram station with a small shuttle waiting for them. At the speed they were going, Mason was sure that they would crash right into it. "It would be much easier if you slowed down, Goldilocks!"

"You got it!" Yang said just before she slammed on the hand brakes. The motorcycle's rear tire lurched upward in the air. Mason lost his grip and he somersaulted over Yang. He was sent careening, ass over tea-kettle, into the passenger compartment of the shuttle. Yang heard an audible groan from the compartment as she dismounted the bike. She handed the keys to the scrawny blonde valet and pointed to her motorcycle, "Take care of her!"

"Yes ma'am!" The valet said as he struggled to get on the bike, nearly tipping it over.

"Careful!" Yang shouted after him.

She walked into the shuttle and saw Mason lying on the ground. His helmet was at his side and he was staring at the ceiling.

"Not gonna lie, Yang," He said in a daze, "That kind of hurt."

Yang knelt down beside him, "This isn't the first time that you've taken a hard landing."

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure that was the first time I've ever been tossed like a rag doll at the speed of sound." Mason groaned.

"Oh, you'll heal," She said, passively waving her hand, "Suck it up, buttercup."

Mason finally snapped out of the daze he was in and slowly rose to his feet, "Who are you calling buttercup?"

Yang laughed as she pressed her hands on his shoulders and sat him down in one of the few seats on the small and empty shuttle, "You, that's who!"

"I really hope this isn't foreshadowing what being at Beacon is going to be like." He said, rubbing his temple, "I don't know how many times I can be thrown around like that on a regular basis."

"No promises!" Yang said, pressing a bright green button on a panel in the side of the passenger compartment.

With that, the shuttle lifted off into the evening sky towards the brightly lit campus of Beacon Academy.

* * *

Ruby Rose entered the dorm room that belonged to team RWBY. In one hand was a glass of milk and a plate full of chocolate chip cookies in the other. She looked around for any sign of her sister, but found none. However, she did find Weiss studying in the bottom of their makeshift bunk beds.

"Hey Weiss, have you seen Yang anywhere?" Ruby asked.

Weiss looked up from her books, "No, I haven't seen her for a while."

Ruby picked up a cookie from her plate and offered it to Weiss. She stared at it blankly for a moment before responding.

"Why would I eat a cookie in the same bed where I sleep at night?" Weiss replied with a stern expression.

"Suit yourself!" Ruby stated before she bit off half of the cookie in a single bite.

Weiss rolled her eyes and went back to her text books.

"Whar ar yof ftudding?" Ruby said with a mouth full of cookie.

"Excuse me?" Weiss said, raising an eyebrow, "You should know better than to speak with food in your mouth, Ruby!"

Ruby took a sip of milk and swallowed what was left of the cookie, "I said, why are you studying?"

Weiss huffed, "Because Ruby, I want to pass all of my exams!"

"But it's Friday night!" Ruby said, "You have all weekend to study!"

"Ruby, that's the kind of attitude you can't have if you're going to succeed!" Weiss replied as she picked up her pen and continued making notes.

Just then, Ruby heard the door open behind her. "Yang!" She exclaimed, turning around only to see Blake entering the room. Blake quickly caught on to the fact that Yang had not returned.

"She isn't back yet?" Blake said, sitting down on her bed and unpacking a bag full of books.

"Did you know she left?" Ruby asked as she climbed into her bed, cookies in hand.

"Yeah, I bumped into her when I went to the library." said Blake as she took off her shoes, "She only said that she got a call from your Uncle Qrow."

"Ungal Groe!?" exclaimed Ruby, swallowing the other half of the cookie in an instant, "Did you say, Uncle Qrow? Did she say what it was about?!"

Ruby was nearly hanging off of the bunk. Crumbs fell from her plate and landed on Weiss' bed, covering her notes and text books in a dusting of crumbled cookie.

"Ruby, look what you've done!" Weiss yelled, "You got cookie crumbs all over my stuff, you dunderhead!"

"I'm sorry!" Ruby said apologetically, "Let me help you clean it up!"

Ruby scrambled to get off of her bed and in the process, dropped the glass of milk that she had brought with her. Blake watched on as the event happened in slow motion.

The glass hit the side of the bed and tipped over, sending the entire contents of the glass cascading downwards. It looked like a beautiful waterfall of white cream with little chunks of chocolate chip cookie in it, and that waterfall landed right on top of Weiss.

Her eyes grew wide in shock as the milk splashed on her head and dripped down her face, soaking her from her head down. Ruby and Blake stared in silent shock as they processed what had just happened. The stream just barely missed her books and notes, but had effectively soaked everything else.

"Um, Weiss," Ruby quietly said, "Are you okay?"

Weiss simply stared forward with a blank gaze. Her left eye began to twitch. She sat there for a few moments in silence, eye twitching and all, before standing up and walking into the bathroom.

Weiss slammed the door so hard, that Ruby jumped with a yelp. She turned and looked at Blake with a guilty expression on her face. But then, she remembered what Blake was telling her before the milk incident.

"So, Uncle Qrow called Yang?"

* * *

By the time that the shuttle arrived at Beacon's Main Tower, Mason had fully recovered from the 'accident' that he'd had earlier in the evening. He and Yang stepped off of the platform and strolled up the walkway toward the tower.

"You're gonna love it here!" Yang said as she gave him a pat on the back.

Mason laughed, "Well I hope so." He turned to look at her, "So, you said something about Ruby being here. What's up with that?"

"Hah!" Yang said, "Well, she fought off a bunch of thugs trying to knock off a Dust Shop in town. Professor Goodwitch saw her and brought her to Ozpin."

Mason smiled, "I always knew that she had it in her!"

"Man, she is gonna be so happy to see you!" Yang said, wringing her hands in excitement.

"Does she know I'm coming?" Mason asked, "Does she even know I'm home?"

Yang shook her head, "Nope, she knows nothing!"

The two walked until they reached the main doors of the building. Mason and Yang opened the doors and went inside. The room was massive. Busts and statues of famous Hunters and Huntresses lined the rim of the circular room. Lavish paintings adorned the walls. In the center of the room, there was a spiral staircase. At the base of the staircase, a woman was waiting for them.

"Good evening, Professor Goodwitch!" Yang said, happily, "I have Mason Griffon here, as per Professor Ozpin's request."

"Thank you, Miss Xiao Long," Goodwitch said, "You can return to your dorm or you may wait here."

"Thanks, Professor," Yang said waving goodbye to Mason, "I think I'll wait here."

"Very well," She turned to Mason, "If you will please follow me, I will take you to see Professor Ozpin."

Mason nodded and followed her up the stairs.

* * *

Professor Ozpin's office was fairly close to the ground floor. Mason was grateful for this, because the spiral steps seemed to almost ascend into the heavens forever.

"So, what do you teach here, Professor Goodwitch?" Mason asked, trying to make conversation.

"I teach Physical Training and Dueling." She replied, "And from what Professor Ozpin has told me, you seem to be adept in both."

"Well, I'd say I'm…above average." Mason stated.

"Hmph," She huffed, "We'll see about that."

The two of them arrived at Professor Ozpin's office, which was more like a personal library. Bookshelves lined the inner walls of the office. Mason hadn't seen so many books in his life. There was an array of windows behind his desk, giving him a gorgeous view of the city below. At the center of the room, there was a glass coffee table surrounded by 2 intricately carved wooded chairs and a large sofa, on which Professor Ozpin was seated.

"Hello, Mason," Professor Ozpin rose from his seat and extended his hand for a handshake, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Mason obliged, "Likewise, sir."

"So," Ozpin sat back down on the sofa and motioned for Mason to do the same, "I assume Miss Xiao Long has already convinced you to attend my school."

"How do you know that?" Mason asked.

"Because you wouldn't be here right now if you weren't." Ozpin stated, taking a sip of his coffee, "Why do you want to attend Beacon Academy?"

Mason could think of several reasons, but there was one that stood out above the rest. "I want to make the world a safer place. I want to make it a better place. There is so much evil in the world, that I feel it's my duty to try and change it. I don't have the right to do anything less than that."

Ozpin nodded his head, "That is a terrible burden for someone so young to place upon their own shoulders. You truly are Qrow's son."

"So, does that mean I can stay?" Mason asked.

"Yes. You may stay if you wish." Ozpin replied.

Mason nodded, "Can I choose which team that I will be a part of?"

Ozpin glanced at Professor Goodwitch. In return, she gave him a stern look. He turned back toward Mason, "We don't normally let students pick their teams, but I suppose in this case, we can make an exception."

Mason smiled, "I want to be with my cousins, Yang and Ruby."

Once again, Ozpin looked at Goodwitch. She huffed and avoided his gaze, "As you wish. You will be named as a part of team RWBY"

"But, there's a catch." Ozpin said, taking another sip of his coffee, "Every student that attends this school must go through an initiation. You are no exception."

"What do I have to do?" Mason asked.

"Report to the cliff tomorrow morning along with the rest of your team," Ozpin stated, "And make sure you come ready to fight."

* * *

Ozpin dismissed Mason, and sent him on his way. He made it to the bottom of the stairs where Yang was waiting for him. He explained everything that Professor Ozpin had told him, including how he was now a member of team RWBY.

"This is so great!" Yang said, locking him in a celebratory bear hug, "Ruby will be speechless!"

Yang led Mason to the dorms. He followed her until she brought him to a door on the left side of the hallway, "Here we are! Let me go in first and come in on my signal." Yang walked into the dorm room and there was an immediate commotion.

Mason waited patiently outside until he heard Yang give what he assumed to be the signal.

"Guys, I would like to present you with the newest member of team RWBY!"

Mason took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and walked through the door.


	3. Chapter Three: A Frosty Reception

**A/N: Hello again! In order to compensate for the shortness of the first two chapters, this one is pretty long! **

**This version is heavily revised from the first time that I posted it. I wasn't satisfied, so I pulled it and spent the past few days editing the crap out of it. I have to say, now it is a much better product! **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter Three: A Frosty Reception

Mason had hardly entered the room before he was tackled to the ground in a flash of red. Ruby had her arms wrapped around his neck and she squeezed as tightly as she could.

"Mason!" Ruby exclaimed, "What are you doing here?!"

Mason struggled to breathe, "I was in the neighborhood and I thought I'd pop in!"

Ruby refused to loosen her grip, "You have no idea how much I missed you."

"I missed you too, kiddo," Mason choked, "Almost as much as I miss breathing."

When she finally realized what she was doing, she released him, "Sorry!"

Mason got to his feet and brushed himself off, "It's okay!"

"Where have you been?" Ruby said, now latched on to Mason's arm, "You never told us where you were going!"

"Well, I spent most of my time in Atlas, running around and stirring up trouble! I only just got back tonight!"

Ruby let go of his arm, "Well, I'm just glad you're home, safe and sound."

Yang brought Blake over by her wrist and introduced the two, "Mason, this is Blake. Blake, this is Mason."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Mason said as reached for a handshake.

Blake shook his hand and happily replied, "A pleasure to meet you too."

Mason set his backpack down alongside the wall, "Hey, do you guys mind if I go and freshen up in the bathroom? Yang drove me here and at some point, I'm pretty sure I peed myself."

"Yeah sure," Ruby said, pointing to the bathroom, "It's right there."

Mason walked off towards the room where Ruby had pointed.

Yang looked around the room, "Where's Weiss?"

"She's in the..." Ruby said, suddenly realizing what was about to happen, "Uh-oh."

As if on cue, Weiss' voice angrily shouted from the bathroom, "Who in the HELL are YOU?!"

* * *

"I don't understand why you let him in," Miss Goodwitch said, pacing around Ozpin's office. "It would have made sense to make Mason wait until next term."

Ozpin was seated at his desk. Behind him, the bright lights of Vale below were akin to that of a firework frozen in time.

"Maybe," He said, taking a sip of his coffee. "But we couldn't take the chance of him leaving again. Qrow had every security camera in Vale under surveillance for almost a year just so he would know when Mason returned."

"Do you really think he would have joined..._them_?"

"There was always the possibility, but I doubt it." Ozpin said, "Mason is a clever young man. He is too valuable of an asset to lose."

"Is that why you let him choose his own team?" Goodwitch asked, "As an incentive to get him to stay?"

"That is part of it, yes." Ozpin said, "But also because he's known Miss Rose and Miss Xiao Long for most of his life. A bond such as that is invaluable. They will work well together."

Goodwitch nodded in agreement.

Ozpin emptied the rest of the coffee from his mug into his mouth. "Regardless of he how he used to be in the old days, Qrow seems to have raised the boy to have a good head on his shoulders."

"Quite literally," Goodwitch said as she looked at her holographic clipboard, "His aptitude test results are some of the most impressive that I've ever seen."

"He's a resourceful boy, Glynda." Ozpin said, standing up from his chair. "If Mason is half the man his father is, he will be a formidable ally."

* * *

Mason didn't have time to throw up a barrier with his aura, so when Weiss punched him, he was defenseless. Her right hook caught him in the temple and he was out like a light. The force of the impact had spun Mason around 180 degrees, where he dropped like a rock flat on his face in the doorway.

Ruby ran over to him, "Weiss, what did you do?!"

Weiss walked out of the bathroom in her blue nightgown and with her hair wrapped in a towel. "What does it look like I did? I was defending myself!" She rubbed her right hand, "Who is this guy?!"

"Weiss, this is me and Ruby's cousin, and your new teammate, Mason." Yang said, kneeling down next to her cousin.

"Oh." Weiss put her hands on her hips, "Well, he should at least knock before he comes barging into a bathroom!"

Ruby walked up next to Weiss, "Where did you learn to do that?"

"Self-defense classes," Weiss said, removing the towel from her sleek white hair, "I'm the heiress to one of the largest companies in Remnant, do you really think I wouldn't know how to defend myself?"

Yang snapped her fingers next to Mason's ear. "C'mon Tiger, get up."

Mason groaned in response and rolled over onto his back.

Yang held up three fingers in front of his face, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

He mimicked the gesture that she had made.

"Yeah, he's fine." She said, pulling him to his feet.

He stumbled backward into the wall behind him and leaned his back against it. In a daze, Mason asked, "What...what happened?"

Yang patted his shoulder, "Weiss just punched your lights out!"

Mason shook it off and rubbed the side of his head, "It's a good thing I have a hard skull."

Weiss glared at him. Clearly, she was not amused.

He walked up to her and held out his hand for a handshake, which she reluctantly accepted. "I'm sorry I didn't start things off on the right foot. It's a pleasure to meet you, Weiss."

"Maybe next time you'll give somebody a heads up before you waltz right on into a bathroom," Weiss said, her frown turning into an obligatory smile, "But it's a pleasure to meet you as well."

Mason released her hand. "Nice punch by the way," He pointed to his left temple, which was still slightly throbbing, "Right on the button."

Weiss was taken aback by his complement. Did he just praise her for nearly knocking him out? "Excuse me?"

"I'm serious," Mason said, "That was one of the few times that a single punch has knocked me on my ass."

"It's true," Yang said as a mischievous smile crossed her face, "It usually takes me two or three to take him down!"

Mason made a sour face in Yang's direction and sniffed the air. "You know, I've smelled this ever since I got here and I didn't want to say anything about it, but now I just have to: What smells like sour milk?"

"Well," Blake began, "It's a bit of a long story."

"No it's not!" Weiss snapped, "It's a fairly short story, actually! Ruby spilled milk all over me and soaked my bed!"

Yang looked at Ruby, "Did you have cookies and milk in bed again?"

Ruby silently nodded.

"Oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip?"

Ruby meekly replied, "Chocolate chip."

"Atta girl!" Yang said, winking at her sister.

"The next time you bring something in here to drink, it had better be in a sippy cup, Ruby!" Weiss said in a frustrated tone. She walked over to the bed, "Now where will I sleep? The mattress is ruined!"

"Not quite," Blake stated, "Ruby managed to strip the bed before the milk soaked through to the sheets."

The frustration left Weiss' face as she looked at her bunk. All of the sheets and blankets were pulled off and thrown in the corner and her notes were stacked neatly at the foot of the bed. She let out a loud sigh, "Thank you, Ruby." She walked over to Ruby, put her hand on her shoulder and calmly said, "I'm sorry I got so mad at you."

Ruby immediately perked up, "And I'm sorry too, Weiss. About the cookies...and the crumbs...and the milk..."

Weiss rolled her eyes and smiled, "It's okay Can you help me get a spare set of sheets on here?"

Ruby and Weiss headed over to the closet. Yang pointed at Mason, "Where are you gonna sleep, Tiger?"

"I'm not sure," He replied, "I don't mind sleeping on the floor."

"Well, you're always welcome to share my bed! It would be just like when we used to camp outside when we were kids!"

Mason laughed, "Yeah, but it was also a lot less weird when we were kids, too! I'll be fine on the floor. Thanks, though."

Yang shrugged, "If you're sure. But you'd better get a good night's sleep! You have a big day tomorrow!"

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"Mason has to go through initiation tomorrow," Yang replied, "We all have to get up early!"

Weiss had finished making her bed with Ruby's help. She walked back over to the closet and pulled out a few extra blankets and a pillow. She shut the door and walked over to Mason. "Here," She said, handing him the blankets, "Consider it an apology."

Mason gratefully took the blankets and pillows from her, "Apology accepted." He then began laying the blankets down to create a makeshift bed on the floor between the two sets of bunk beds. It was cozy and comfortable, which was more than Mason could ask for after the day that he'd had.

Everyone took turns going to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Mason dug through his backpack and pulled out a pair of black and red plaid pajama pants and a grey t-shirt. When his turn came he went into the bathroom and changed into his pajamas before freshening up and leaving to go back to his "bed". By the time everything settled down, everybody was exhausted and was ready for bed.

"Goodnight, guys!" Ruby said with a yawn.

Everyone said goodnight to each other and turned the lights out.

* * *

About two hours after he fell asleep, Mason woke up in the dead of night to get a drink of water. He slowly got up and shuffled to the sink. He found a cup and filled it to the top before guzzling it down. He set the cup down and was about to walk away before deciding to refill it for one more drink. Mason wiped his mouth and went back to his bed. But on the way back, he felt a small tug on his shirt. He turned and saw Ruby on her bed and looking right at him.

"Hey, Ruby," Mason whispered softly, "Is everything okay?"

She responded by gently wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. Without hesitation, Mason put his arms around Ruby and held her in silence until it was broken by her sleepy voice.

"You're...not going to leave again, are you?"

"No." He said, patting her back, "No, Ruby, I'm not gonna leave. Not if I have anything to say about it."

Ruby let out a sigh of relief, "Really?"

"Really." Mason said, quietly, "Leaving you and Yang was one of the hardest things that I've ever had to do. I don't plan on doing that again."

"You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that." Ruby said, giving him one last gentle squeeze before a long yawn took hold of her.

"You should get some sleep, kiddo." Mason said, giving her a kiss on the top of her head, "Goodnight, Ruby."

"Goodnight, Mason." And with that, Ruby laid back down in her bed.

Mason made his way back to his own bed and laid down with his hands behind his head. He had no intentions of leaving. After a long series of months, Mason was finally home. He wasn't leaving anytime soon.

* * *

The next time Mason woke up, it was early in the morning. By the time that everyone had woken up and gotten dressed, it was time to leave. The team arrived at the cliffs just on time. Professor Ozpin was waiting along with Professor Goodwitch, who was holding four small, wooden rods.

"Welcome, all of you, to the initiation of your new teammate." Ozpin said, "Mason Griffon, please step forward."

Mason did as he was told.

"In Miss Goodwitch's hand, there are four rods, each engraved with the name of one of your teammates. You will draw one of the four and whomever you choose will be your partner for this task."

Mason glanced back and received looks of support from all of his teammates, reassuring him that each one of them had his back. He walked up to Goodwitch and gave her a nervous smile. She seemed unaffected by it as she held out the rods. He grabbed the first one he saw and held it in his hands. Goodwitch surprised him when she said, "Good luck."

Ozpin spoke once again. "Please say the name of your partner."

Mason turned the rod over and read the name aloud, "Ruby Rose."

Ruby stepped forward and stood beside him.

"Your objective is simple: Find and retrieve one relic from the ruins along the path." Ozpin said, "As Ruby has already passed the test, she will not be graded. She is only accompanying you in order to test your abilities to work as a team. Do not hesitate to destroy anything that crosses your path, or you will die." Ozpin took a sip of coffee, "Good luck, and prepare yourself."

Mason extended his fist to fist-bump Ruby. With a smiling nod, she happily obliged. He then took off his hoodie and handed it to Yang, leaving him in a crisp, white t-shirt that revealed his lustrous gauntlets.

Weiss looked perplexed, "Aren't you going to wear armor or anything?"

Mason shook his head and with a crooked smile said, "Nah."

He turned and took his place on the platform beside Ruby, shaking out his wrists and loosening up his muscles. He took one last look at his friends and gave them a thumbs up. They all waved in return. The platform then sprung forward and launched him into the air over the Emerald Forest. Ruby's platform did the same a short time later.

"Camera drones will by monitoring them from the air," Ozpin motioned to the remaining members of team RWBY, "We have set up a remote viewing station so that you may watch their progress if you wish."

Yang followed the rest of her team into the "Viewing Station", which was a tent with two large screens showing both Ruby and Mason as they each landed in the forest. _Please be safe, you two._

Mason let out a deafening "WHOO HOO!" as he rocketed through the air and descended into the Emerald Forest. The leaves tore through his hair as he soared through the foliage. Mason realized he was flying straight toward a large oak tree.

His claws released from his gauntlets and he buried them into the wood of the oaken behemoth. He looked down at the floor of the forest and retracted the claws from his right hand, relying on his weight to slide down the tree using the claws on his left hand to slow his descent.

"Ruby!" He shouted, hoping for a response. "Ruby!"

He faintly heard a response in the distance. "Here!"

"Ruby, fire off a few rounds into the air! I need to get a fix on your position!"

He heard the very distinct sound of Ruby's rife firing off to the east. She wasn't far.

"Stay there!" Mason yelled, "I'm coming to you!"

Mason retracted his claws and sprinted off in Ruby's direction. After a few minutes, his sprint had tapered off to a jog before he stopped altogether. He decided that it would be nice to take a moment and enjoy the scenery. The forest was so serene and calming that it was hard to believe that danger was lurking around every corner.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose, catching the intoxicating aroma of the forest. It was a nice change of pace from the hectic night that he'd had. It also reminded him, for some reason, of the white haired girl who had slugged him the previous night.

Mason didn't know why Weiss popped into his mind, but he didn't have time to contest it because now, he'd also caught the faint tinge of gunpowder lurking in the air. This meant that Ruby wasn't far off. It wasn't long before scent led him straight to Ruby. She was playing with a leaf while sitting on a decaying tree.

"Hey! It's about time!" She said, "I was wondering when you were going to show up!"

"Yeah, well I'm not as fast as you!" Mason said with a laugh, "Shall we?"

"Yes, we shall!" Ruby said as she started walking down the path.

Mason followed close behind, "Do you know where these ruins are?"

"I think so," Ruby said with a little skip in her step, "But Weiss and I kind of…hitched a ride with a Nevermore the last time we were here so it might take us a little longer to get there."

"How did you manage that?" Mason asked, "The Nevermore, I mean."

"It's a long story." She replied

Ruby led Mason into a patch of thick brush. She unfurled Crescent Rose and started clearing a path through. "So, what convinced you to come to Beacon?"

"I didn't really need much convincing, really." Mason said, "Yang showed up out of the blue and talked to me about it. I guess I need an adventure."

"We all need an adventure at some point." Ruby said, pushing aside some branches.

"So… who is our team leader?" He asked as he stepped over a puddle of water.

"Me." Ruby said, with a chipper tone in her voice.

"Really?" Mason said with a surprised inflection, "Well, I couldn't think of anyone better to lead this team."

Ruby smiled, "Thanks! I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather be stranded in this forest full of monsters with!"

Mason smiled. "Hey Ruby?"

"What's up?"

"What's the deal with Weiss?" Mason asked, "Is she always so grouchy?"

Ruby laughed, "Not always! She can be really sweet when she wants to be."

"Is she…seeing anybody?"

Ruby spun around so fast that Mason almost tripped over her. She had a big, goofy smile on her face. "Do you like Weiss?"

"Well… I, uh…" Mason nervously scratched the back of his head, "She's…very pretty and I'd …like to get to know her better."

Ruby's gaze turned to the camera drones floating in the air just above them, "Wanna ask her?"

"Wait, what?" Mason said as Ruby waved to the drones.

"HEY! Weiss!" Ruby pointed to Mason, "Mason thinks you're very pretty and wants to get to know you better! Are you currently seeing anyone?!"

The drone sat there in silence. Mason just stared blankly ahead. He couldn't even guess as to what was happening on the other side.

"I guess that means she's not seeing anybody!" Ruby said, skipping back along the path

* * *

Weiss' face turned red and her eyes were as large as dinner plates. They slowly shifted to the left, where Blake was smiling coolly at her. Weiss' eyes then shifted to the right. Yang was staring at her with an open mouth smile. Then, she shifted her gaze back to the screen, where Mason had the same look on his face that she herself had. Miss Goodwitch could even be heard in the back of the room letting loose a brief chuckle.

Weiss looked at Mason's screen and her eyes angrily narrowed.

* * *

Mason finally snapped out of it and chased after Ruby. "I would expect that kind of thing from Yang," he said, "But not from you!"

"Yeah, I know." She said, still skipping along the path, "But if I didn't do it, you never would have done it."

Mason sighed. He knew she was right. He just wasn't looking forward to the possibility of getting decked by Weiss again when he got back.

The duo came to a clearing where in the middle, sat what Mason could only think of as the ruins that Ozpin had mentioned.

"We haven't run into anything yet." Ruby said nervously, "Makes me wonder what's waiting for us down there."

"Well, only one way to find out." Mason said as he began to walk down the path. The ancient ruins definitely lived up to their name. All that was left of them were a few stacks of stones and pillars. It looked like the remains of some sort of altar. There were pedestals encircling the center. On one pedestal to the left sat a single chess piece.

Mason picked it up and walked back to Ruby. "It's a…white knight?"

Ruby smiled, "Yeah that looks like the same one that I picked up during my initiation!"

"Well this is kind of anticlimactic." Mason said, putting the piece in his pocket, "C'mon, let's get back to the cliff."

They walked for only a few paces before Mason held out his hand and stopped Ruby.

"Do you hear that?" He asked.

Ruby listened, "No, I don't hear anything."

"Trust me." His claws popped out of his gauntlets.

Ruby trusted him implicitly. He had a sense of hearing that was damn near superhuman, and had previously demonstrated it on several occasions. She readied Crescent Rose. Then she heard it; a soft snarling sound, followed by multiple growls. "Beowolves."

The two of them braced themselves. A Beowolf lunged from out of the bushes at Mason, who caught it in midair and used the momentum to spin around to the ground, driving his claws even further into its sternum. Another lunged at Ruby, who sliced it in half with her scythe. Before the pair knew it, they were surrounded.

An idea crossed Ruby's mind. "Mason, I need you to distract them!"

"Got it!" Mason said as he ran head first into the mob, stabbing and slashing with such fluidity that it seemed as if he were an experienced warrior. It was an impressive sight to behold as he attracted the entire pack.

Fighting like a devil, he managed to hold them off long enough for Ruby to run at full speed, swinging her scythe like a helicopter blade, right into the crowd. Mason ducked just in time. Another moment and his head would have been taken off. She left a trail of limbs and bodies behind her. When she landed, she failed to notice the Beowolf that was preparing to strike her from behind. Mason, however, was well aware of what was happening. He'd charged a jump with his aura and lunged at the beast, impaling its chest with his claws before it could even come close to her.

Ruby turned around and Mason nodded at her before Ruby aimed the sights of Crescent Rose at a Beowolf trying to flee by the tree line. She fired and it dropped dead instantly.

"Yeah! Go Ruby!" Mason yelled, right before he heard a deep and guttural growl behind him. He turned around and saw a Beowolf that was at least twice the size of any that he'd ever seen. "Oh, Sh…"

The massive Beowolf swatted Mason aside like a rag doll with the force of a freight train. He was sent flying into the trunk of a tree. The sound of bones fracturing and breaking echoed throughout the clearing as he fell to the ground in a twisted and broken heap.

* * *

**I feel so evil leaving all of these cliffhangers! Don't worry, I will update again by the end of the week! Leave a comment and tell me how I'm doing! **

**Oh, don't forget to check out spideyk's story "Mentor". It's an Assassin's Creed/RWBY crossover that features Mason!**


	4. Chapter Four: A Second Wind

Chapter Four: A Second Wind

Everyone who was watching from the viewing station was in a state of shock. All except for Ozpin, who calmly watched the screen as it showed Mason lying motionless at the bottom of the tree. Weiss' hand clamped over her mouth as she let out a muffled gasp. Blake stared at the screen with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open. Yang, however, had a different reaction altogether.

Yang was on the edge of her seat, wringing her hands as she muttered intensely through clenched teeth, "Get up. C'mon, get up."

Weiss looked on as Mason was lying on the ground at the base of the tree. The sight of him made her cringe. Three long gashes were torn in his shirt and they were oozing crimson blood. A broken rib protruded from his abdomen. His left arm seemed to be dislocated and his right leg was twisted in an awkward position that looked painful, even through a screen.

Yang's mutters were growing louder and louder until she was yelling, "Get up! Mason, get up!"

Blake and Weiss looked at each other. They both understood what Yang was doing, but how could anyone get up after that? The two turned their attention back to the screen and what they were about to witness was something that should not have been humanly possible.

They watched as the slashes in Mason's chest began to heal, slowly starting to shrink in size. In just a matter of seconds, the wounds in his chest had sealed themselves just as Mason had begun to slip back into consciousness. Looking at his left arm, Mason used his right hand to reach over and grab his left arm and wrenched it back into its socket. He writhed in pain as it popped back into place.

They watched his gaze turn to his mangled leg. Mason straightened it out in front of him and pressed down, pushing the bones back into place. His face exploded with agony, letting out a sharp yell that echoed throughout the forest. He tried to stagger to his feet, but dropped to one knee. He saw the rib sticking out of his abdomen and with two fingers, pushed it back into place.

Blake looked over at Yang, "How is that possible?"

Yang sighed and relaxed back in her seat, "His semblance is Regeneration. He can heal himself."

"Wow…" Weiss whispered under her breath.

* * *

Mason took deep, heaving breaths as he got to his feet. He smiled crookedly as he saw a massive shadow creep up behind him. He turned around and faced the Beowolf who had come to finish the job it had started. It snarled and saliva dripped from the beast's jowls.

Mason laughed mischievously, "Bring it."

He launched himself at the Beowolf and drove his claws deep into its chest. The monster howled in pain and fell to the ground. It wrapped its limbs around Mason and rolled him onto his back, pinning him down.

The Beowolf lowered its head and roared at Mason, bearing its razor sharp teeth. He wriggled his body, trying to free himself, but the beast continued to overpower him. He prepared himself for the final blow, but it never came. Instead of biting Mason's head off, the Beowolf's own head had exploded.

The headless mass fell to the side, revealing Ruby standing there with the smoking barrel of Crescent Rose.

"Miss me?" she said with a sly grin.

Mason smiled as he wiped the blood that had begun to trickle down his chin, "Nah, I had him."

Ruby smiled and extended her hand. Mason grabbed it and she helped him to his feet, "Sure, you did."

He stumbled forward and nearly fell over. Ruby wrapped his arm around her shoulder and helped him up. "Can you walk, tough guy?"

Mason chuckled, "Yeah, I'll be fine. It's probably just some internal bleeding...nothing too serious."

Ruby smiled. "Well then, let's get the heck out of here!"

* * *

Ruby and Mason made their way back to the cliff where they had started. Ruby used Crescent Rose to launch herself up the cliff wall while Mason scaled it with his claws. When he got to the top, Yang was waiting for him.

"I told you to be careful!" Yang said, punching Mason in the shoulder.

"Hey!" Mason said, rubbing his shoulder, "That still hurts!"

A smile then crossed Yang's face and she gave him a crushing hug. "You did it!"

"Yeah, well, I couldn't have done it without Ruby!" Mason choked out.

Ruby strolled alongside him and rested her elbow on Yang's shoulder, "I'd say you could've done it by yourself, but if I wasn't there, you'd be dog chow!"

Yang released him and Mason inhaled deeply. She gave him back his hoodie and he zipped it up, covering his torn and bloody shirt. Blake walked up and gave him a pat on the back, "Congratulations!"

"Thanks!" Mason said as he gave Blake a small hug. He looked up at then looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set. "What happened to the day? It only felt like we were in there for an hour or two."

"Time passes differently in the Emerald Forest," Professor Ozpin's voice came from behind the group, "It holds many secrets. If you stay too long, you can lose yourself in its mysteries."

Mason turned and faced Ozpin, "Sir."

"Glad to see you in one piece." Ozpin said before he shook Mason's hand.

"Thank you, Professor. I have something for you." Mason reached into his pocket and pulled out the white chess piece and handed it to Ozpin.

Professor Ozpin examined it for a moment before motioning to the rest of team RWBY. "Will you ladies please head back to the dormitories? I would like to talk to Mason alone for a moment."

The girls nodded and walked off with Miss Goodwitch, leaving Mason alone with Professor Ozpin.

"Congratulations, Mr. Griffon, you have completed the initiation process and in turn, have become an official student of Beacon Academy." Ozpin took a sip of his coffee, "Not many get the privilege to do so."

"Thanks, Professor," Mason said, "I'm happy to be here."

Ozpin put his hand on Mason's shoulder, "I've told your father. Qrow says that he is very proud of you."

Mason missed his adopted father, "How is he? What's he been up to?"

"He's been...preoccupied," Ozpin said, "But I expect that you'll be hearing from him soon."

"I hope he's been staying out of trouble." Mason stated.

Ozpin laughed, "As much as he can. Remember, it's your father that we're talking about."

Ozpin checked his watch, "I had better be heading back. I'll see you soon, Mason."

"I think I'll stay here for a while longer," Mason said, looking at the evening sun, I'll see you later, Professor."

Professor Ozpin started walking away before he paused and turned his head back, "Oh, and Mason?"

Mason turned around, "Yes, Professor?"

"Good luck."

"Thank...you sir?" Mason responded in a puzzled tone.

Ozpin turned his head and continued towards the buildings.

* * *

Mason sat down on the edge of the cliffs and looked at the brilliant sunset over the Emerald Forest. He closed his eyes and sucked the evening air into his lungs. He thought about how quickly his life had changed. Around this time yesterday, he was getting off of a train in the middle of Vale with no idea what the next chapter in his life had in store. Now, he had just been admitted to one of the most prestigious schools in all of Remnant. He was enjoying the peace and stillness in the air when it was suddenly disturbed by a noise.

The noise was subtle. It wasn't loud or disruptive. In fact, he might have missed it if he hadn't been actively listening for it. It was the sound of a small twig breaking a few yards behind him. He slowly exhaled the air from his lungs.

Mason kept still and continued to enjoy the ambiance of the evening as he heard slow footsteps lightly approaching from behind him. He knew who was stalking him immediately. A smile crossed Mason's face as he opened his eyes. "Hey, Weiss!"

Weiss jumped backwards, "How did you know it was me?!"

"Just a lucky guess," Mason said, turning to face her, "What's up?"

Weiss crossed her arms, "I think you know what's up."

Mason nodded with a smile on his face, "You're not gonna push me off the cliff, are you?"

Weiss' eyes narrowed, "We'll see." She sat down beside him, her arms still crossed, "So, Ruby seems to be under the impression that you like me. Any idea why that is?"

"I never said that," Mason replied, shifting his body to face Weiss, "I merely said that I'd like to get to know you better."

Weiss slowly nodded her head. She had a stern look about her face, "And what about you thinking I'm pretty? Did Ruby take that out of context too?"

Mason was backed into a corner. If he said no, Weiss would have a reason to push him off of the cliff. If he said yes, Weiss would still have a reason to push him off of the cliff. He was already digging his grave, might as well dig it a little deeper. "No, that's true. I actually said that I thought you were VERY pretty."

Weiss was silent. Mason thought she was really going to pick him up and toss him down into the forest below. Instead, she unfurled her arms and let them fall to her side. "Really?"

Mason looked in her eyes and saw a brief smile cross her lips, "Yeah, really."

It lasted for a moment, but then Weiss shook her head and the smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared, "You have some nerve to say that to my face."

It was then that Mason realized Weiss was just acting cold. She didn't know how to react, so she just reverted to being difficult. He decided to call her out on it.

"Weiss, listen," He said, "You don't have to act so cold, okay? You're curious about me, I get that. But I'm also curious about you. It's perfectly natural for two people to wanna know more about each other. It's how friendships and relationships are built."

Weiss stared blankly at him for what seemed like hours. Her response finally came in the form of a firm, yet harmless slap on the face. She stuck her index right in front of his nose, "I'm not acting cold, okay?" Her finger fell to her side and she looked out at the sunset. "I'm simply...trying to process all of this."

The pair was silent as they both turned their heads away from each other to watch the sun set over the forest canopy. It was while before anybody spoke.

Weiss sighed, "Okay, look, why don't you join me for dinner tomorrow night? We can talk then."

"Are you...asking me out on a date?" Mason asked with surprise in his tone.

"No!" Weiss quickly replied, "This is two people getting together and having dinner while conversing and learning more about each other, not a date."

Mason smiled, "Okay, everything you just described? Look it up in the dictionary. That is the very definition of a date, Weiss."

Weiss growled, "Call it a date one more time, and I'll SMACK you with a dictionary." She then got up and walked away toward the Academy. Before she go too far, Weiss turned to Mason and said, "The answer is no."

Mason was confused, "What do you mean?"

"I mean 'no' as in no, I am currently not seeing anybody." Weiss said with a brief smile before turning and leaving for the dorms.

Mason's grin was a mile long when he decided to stay by the cliff for a while longer. He looked at the sky and marveled at the stars beginning to peek out of the blackness of space. When his stomach grumbled, he realized it was time to leave. He stood up and looked at the vast and black forest in front of him one more time before he walked away.

* * *

Mason had missed dinner in the mess hall, so he had to resort to getting a candy bar and a soda from one of the vending machines in the dorms.

"Good old, Corstall Cola, the breakfast of champions." Mason said to himself as he gathered his 'dinner' together and made for team RWBY's dorm room. He entered the room and quickly realized that everyone was asleep. He shut the door and made a beeline for the shower.

He jumped in and let the warm water soak into his skin. The dried blood on his chest washed down the drain, along with the dirt and grime that covered him. After he stepped out and toweled himself off, he felt like a million lien. He brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas before quietly stepping out of the bathroom.

Mason made his way to his floor space, where he noticed that Blake was still awake in her bed, reading a book by candlelight.

"Oh hey, Blake!" Mason said in a whisper as he walked towards her.

"Hey, Mason!" she quietly replied.

He noticed something off about Blake's appearance but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. He walked up and sat down on his floor space, leaning his back against her bed frame. "You know, we haven't really talked since I got here."

She set her book aside and looked at him, "You're right, I guess we haven't. What do you wanna talk about?"

"I don't know…" He said when he noticed her bow twitch on the top of her head. Only, bows don't twitch. It was at that moment when he realized it. In the place of her bow was a pair of small violet cat ears. "You're a Faunus?"

Blake's eyes got wide and her face turned red, "I….I didn't know...I forgot I'd taken it off..."

"It's okay." Mason said, "I'm not judging you. I'm actually part Faunus myself."

"Really?" Blake said in a relieved tone, "You don't look like it."

"Yeah, I'm half Faunus, on my biological Dad's side. I didn't inherit his tail, which I'm thankful for. Do you know how hard it is to hide a wolverine tail?"

Blake laughed a little bit, "I can't imagine!"

"I did inherit the traits of a wolverine though, like my real father's sense of hearing and stuff like that. Sometimes when I'm cornered, desperate, or when I'm pissed off in battle, this kind of feral instinct kicks in."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"It's kind of hard to explain. It's like an adrenaline rush. My strength and endurance is massively increased in times of great stress.

"Really?" Blake asked.

"Yeah. It's saved my life a couple of times." Mason replied.

"But your semblance allows you to heal yourself, right?"

"Yes, but I'm not invincible. I can only take so much. But it's helpful for the minor stuff like bullet wounds, broken bones, and stab wounds." Mason said.

Blake laughed, "You call those 'minor'?"

"Well, yeah. But severe trauma will slow me down to the point where I'm my most vulnerable. It could even kill me. What happened today was one of the worst injuries I've ever had. I'd never tell Yang or Ruby, though."

"Do you…feel it?" Blake asked, "The pain, I mean."

"Yes. I feel every hit, cut, and bullet." Mason's voice turned somber. "I've felt more pain than anyone else could endure."

"I'm sorry." Blake said apologetically. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Oh, it's fine," Mason said waving it off. "I also get phantom pains, too. Aches and pain sensations that are there, but they have no physical origin. I've always thought those were in my mind."

Blake pointed at his chest, "Are you having them now?"

Mason nodded, rubbing his hand across his chest, "Yeah, actually, I am."

"So being half-Faunus, do you have any traits that a full Faunus has." Blake asked him.

"I have the standard heightened Faunus senses like night vision and smell, but I've never met a Faunus that can hear as well as I can." Mason said, popping the top off of the Corstall bottle.

"Really? How well can you hear?" She asked.

Mason laughed a bit. "When I really focus, I can hear a person's heartbeat from across the room."

Blake's jaw dropped. "That's…that's incredible."

"I can tell how many people are in a room just by listening. Did you know that a person's pulse changes when they're lying?"

"And you can hear that?" She asked.

"Yep. I'm an organic lie detector." Mason said as he took a swig of soda. He offered the bottle to Blake and she accepted

Blake tried to get a little more on his background. "Were you and your real dad close?"

"No." Mason replied, "He died in the War. You ever hear of Conroy Griffon?"

There wasn't a Faunus who hadn't. "Your father was the First Lieutenant in the War?"

"Yep. He took a sword right in the gut during the attack on the Schnee Dust Factory." Mason took a deep breath, "He was a great soldier, but not that great of a father. He was a cruel man. And I never really had a mother. I was just a little kid when Ruby and Yang's Uncle Qrow took me in."

"So Ruby and Yang's uncle raised you?" Blake asked, "Is that how you know them?"

"Yep. We've been friends for years." Mason said, looking up at Yang's bunk. She let out a loud but brief snore that caused both Blake and Mason to chuckle. "But I guess you could count Yang and Ruby as my family."

Blake smiled. Then a thought crossed her mind, "Does Weiss know about your father?"

"Nope." He said, "You're the only one I've told since I got here."

"Well, you might wanna hold off on telling her. At least until she knows you better." Blake said.

"Why's that?"

"She's Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

Mason just looked at the floor. He hadn't known her last name until then. "Huh," He formed a sad smile, "Talk about an ironic twist of fate, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Weiss and I actually have a date tomorrow night."

Blake took a deep breath. "You have to understand that she kind of has an unpleasant past with the White Fang and the Faunus. She and I had a sort of… disagreement when she initially found out that I was a Faunus."

"Well, I guess I can understand. The White Fang used to mean something, but ever since my father turned them into this… I just don't know."

"That's exactly why I left them." Blake said.

"You were part of the White Fang?" Mason asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A long time ago…"

"Well, looks like we both have a sketchy past. That's one thing we have in common!" Mason said as cheerily as he could, putting a hand on Blake's shoulder.

Blake smiled, "I guess we do! We should know about these things if we're going to work together."

"Agreed!" Mason said as he finished off the rest of the soda, "Goodnight, Blake."

Blake snuffed out her candle, "Goodnight, Mason."

He lay on his pillows and blankets, trying in vain to fall asleep. He was too preoccupied with pondering every scenario where Weiss would find out about his family's history. When Mason finally managed to get to sleep, his mind was riddled with the anxiety of going to dinner with the heiress to the same company which his father had tried to burn to the ground.

* * *

**A/N: Finally, I haven't ended on a gut-wrenching cliffhanger! Thank you to everyone for the positive feedback! As always, don't forget to tell me what you thought of this chapter and the others in the comments!**


	5. Chapter Five: Bad Dreams & Dinner Dates

**A/N: Hello again! Here's Chapter Five, so Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter Five: Bad Dreams & Dinner Dates

Mason had no idea where he was. He couldn't see and his head was spinning. Dazed and confused, he was surrounded by darkness as a thick black smoke encircled him and made it hard to breathe. He started coughing as his eyes began to sting and burn. Mason's sinuses were on fire. His senses were dulled. The only things he could hear were the sounds of himself slowly suffocating.

He could barely see, but he felt a malevolent presence behind him. Mason's claws shot from his gauntlets and he turned around. The being behind him was like a living, smoky shadow that took the form of a man. It was black as death and had glowing red eyes with a large sword that was engulfed in flames.

"Who are you?!" Mason choked out.

The black mass didn't respond. Instead, it raised its sword and swung at Mason. He barely dodged it and tried to capitalize with a slash of his claws, but it felt like he was fighting through water. Every time he moved, he felt sluggish and lethargic. The Shadow was relentless, swinging the flaming sword at Mason, intent on killing him. He felt the flames from the blade licking at his face. The black smoke was sucking the oxygen right out of his lungs.

The Shadow knocked Mason to the ground. He instinctively brought his claws up in front of him to block its attacks. The Shadow struck its sword against Mason's claws and the steel blades shattered on impact, sending shrapnel flying at Mason's face.

"No!" Mason coughed out. The shadow grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. He felt the life being squeezed out of him. The Shadow's crimson eyes stared into his soul as it plunged its sword deep into Mason's abdomen.

Mason cried out in agony as the sword was twisted and ripped from his body. The Shadow dropped him and he fell to his knees. He tried to activate his semblance, but he couldn't. He didn't have the strength.

The Shadow leveled the blade at Mason's neck. He closed his eyes as it brought the sword back to its shoulder and swung downwards.

* * *

Yang awoke to the sound of a panicking Mason from down below. She leaned over her bunk and saw him squirming in his sleep. She leapt out of bed and crouched next to him.

"Mason," She whispered, shaking his shoulder, "Mason, wake up."

Mason sat up as his eyes shot open with a sharp gasp. His face was pale and he had broken out into a cold sweat. He immediately began feeling around his stomach before moving to his neck. Yang put her hand on his shoulder and he looked at her with a wild look in his eyes.

"It's okay." She said softly, "It was just a bad dream."

Mason looked at the ground, breathing heavily. His voice was shaky, "A...a dream? It was just a dream?"

Yang nodded, "Yes, just a dream." She noticed he was clutching his chest, "Are you okay, Tiger?"

Mason shook his head, "No. No, I'm not."

"What's wrong?" She asked.

Mason exhaled, "I was killed."

Yang looked confused, "What do you mean?"

"I mean in the dream or nightmare or whatever it was, I was killed." He still looked visibly shaken, "It wasn't just one of those things where you wake up right before you hit the ground, this was...different."

"Well, you're still alive." She began to rub his shoulder, "You haven't kicked the bucket yet."

Mason's gut began to rumble and he felt nauseous, "I think I'm gonna throw up."

"Here," She said, pressing his head forward, "Put your head between your knees."

He allowed her to press his head between his legs. "Okay."

Yang stood up and went to the counter and got a glass of water before walking back to Mason. "Here," She said, handing him the glass, "Drink this."

Mason did as he was told. He handed the glass back to Yang, "Thanks."

"I want you to stay like this until the nausea passes." She said.

"Okay." Mason replied. He sat there for a few minutes before the dizziness subsided.

Yang rubbed his back, "How are you feeling, bud?"

"Better," Mason said with a sigh, "Thanks, Goldilocks."

Yang smiled, "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Mason nodded and stood up, "I'm just going to get some fresh air."

"Okay," Yang walked back to her bunk, "Let me know if you need me. Just try and get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay," Mason said, opening the balcony door, "Goodnight, Yang."

"Goodnight, Mason."

Mason walked out of the dorm and onto the balcony. He stood on the edge and leaned against the railing, looking at the sky. For some reason, it always calmed him down. He sat down on the chair behind him and took several deep breaths. He had to find something else to focus on.

Mason scoured his brain for anything that would take his mind off of the nightmare that he'd had. He didn't need to search for long.

Weiss just popped into his head. He didn't know or understand why, but she did. There was something about her that intrigued him. Mason knew that she could come off as abrasive and cold-hearted, but he also knew that deep down she was much more than that. The thought of her brought a smile to his face, and that was all he needed to fall asleep right there underneath the starry sky.

* * *

The morning sun crept over Weiss' face. She yawned, sat up in her bed, and looked around. Usually, she was the first one up, but today was a different story. She glanced down at Mason's empty floor space.

"Where in the world...?" She looked over at the balcony doors and the curtains were pulled to the side. Weiss got up out of bed and walked over to the sliding glass doors. She opened the doors and walked outside. There, she found Mason fully dressed and sitting with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Ah, Weiss!" Mason said, motioning to the chair beside him, "Care to join me?"

She thought for a moment before sitting down. "Sure."

Mason picked up a cup of coffee that sat on the railing beside him and offered it to her, which she accepted.

"How did you know I drink coffee?" She asked, taking a sip from the mug.

"I didn't," Mason said, "It was just a lucky guess."

The taste of smooth chocolate with a hint of cherry washed down her throat. "Yes it was!" Weiss said with a smile, "This is really good coffee!"

Mason nodded, "I know, right? It's chocolate-cherry cappuccino. A little recipe I picked up in Atlas."

"It's delicious." Weiss said as she took another drink from the mug, "So, what are you doing out here?"

"I had a bit of a rough night," He said as he sipped his own coffee, "So I came out here to clear my head. It was so peaceful out here and I guess I must have fallen asleep."

Weiss nodded. She looked down at the brown liquid in the mug and an odd thought had crossed her mind. "Why did you make two cups?" She raised an eyebrow, "How did you know that I would even come out here?"

Mason smiled smugly, "I didn't."

"Another guess?"

Mason thought for a moment, "Yeah, this could have backfired pretty badly, I'll admit." The smile returned to his face, "But I'm glad it didn't."

"Oh?" Weiss said, crossing her arms, "Why's that?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you. Do you have anything planned for today?"

"No," Weiss replied, "No, not really. Other than our dinner date tonight, I have nothing to do."

Mason smiled, "Do you realize what you just said?"

"No. What are you talking abou...?" Weiss realized that she had called their dinner a date. She glared at him through narrowed eyes, "Don't be such a child."

Mason laughed, "On that note then, since you're free for the day, I was hoping you would go with me in town and help me get some new clothes."

Weiss raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"Yeah, I was hoping to find something to wear for tonight. Are you up for it?"

"Yeah, sure." Weiss said, enthusiastically, "I've only known you for a few days and I'm already tired of seeing you in that dull and depressing hoodie."

Mason looked down at his hoodie. "It's not..." Mason started, before letting out a loud sigh, "Yeah, it is. So you'll help me?"

"Absolutely," Weiss replied, "Do you have an idea of where you want to go for dinner?"

Mason hadn't thought about that. "No, not really. Where do you want to go?"

Weiss replied without hesitation, "Why don't we try that new restaurant down on 12th street? I think it's called the Shining Anchor."

Mason smiled, "Sure! When do you want to…" He stopped mid sentence and closed his eyes as he began shaking his head.

"What's wrong?" Weiss asked.

"It seems as if someone is eavesdropping on our conversation." Mason said with a smile as he motioned toward the glass doors, "Come on out guys, we know you're there."

The doors slid open and Ruby and Yang walked out onto the balcony.

"You two are going on a date?" Yang's smile had stretched from ear to ear.

Ruby just had a dumbfounded look on her face while she tried to form words. "I...uh... you two are dating!?"

Weiss nearly blew a gasket, "Would everyone stop saying that word! I've heard it all morning and I'm really getting tired of it!"

Just then, Blake walked out behind Yang and Ruby. "I told you they were out here talking about their date."

Weiss scowled at her teammates, "You're all a bunch of jerks." She stormed off back into the dorm, but not before she poked her head back outside and smiled at Mason, "Thanks for the coffee."

Mason smiled in return, "Anytime."

She ducked back inside, leaving Mason alone with Ruby, Blake, and Yang, each of them staring at Mason.

"What?" He said, innocently.

Ruby broke out into a giggle fit. "Dawwwwwwww!" She said, "You two are so cute!"

Mason's face turned red, "Now wait a minute, guys. We're just having dinner, that's it."

"Sure you are, Tiger!" Yang playfully punched him in the arm, "You're just going to dinner with a very pretty girl!"

Mason sighed and he stood up. "Yes," He said walking back into the dorm, "Yes I am."

* * *

Weiss stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and looked at her reflection. She wore the biggest smile that she'd ever smiled in her life. She tried to stifle it, but she couldn't, and it forced its way back.

She didn't know exactly why she felt the way that she did, but she knew that it had something to do with Mason. This wasn't something she could put her finger on, but whatever she was feeling, a small part of her liked it.

She and Mason had only just met! They were polar opposites, and Weiss understood that. She could be impatient and bossy, while Mason was diplomatic and could possibly be the most patient person she'd ever met.

Weiss thought to herself, _"Maybe that old saying, 'opposites attract', has some meaning to it after all."_

She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, looking at her smiling face one last time before turning away to take a shower and get herself ready for the day.

* * *

When Weiss came out of the bathroom, she was dressed and had just finished drying her hair. Mason was sitting on her bed, while Ruby, Blake, and Yang were all sitting in their respective beds and talking amongst themselves.

When Mason saw her, he stood up. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes!" She replied, "You?"

Mason nodded, "Let's go have some fun!"

The two of them walked out toward the front door and Weiss walked out. Before Mason left, he looked back at the others. Blake simply smiled and waved. Ruby had her hand over her mouth, but even that couldn't hide the ridiculous grin that she had underneath. Finally, he turned to Yang. She winked at him and gave him two thumbs up.

Mason shook his head and waved goodbye.

* * *

Yang hopped off her bed and sat next to Blake. "Have you ever seen Weiss act like that around a guy before?"

Blake shook her head, "No, never. I have to admit, it's really odd seeing her like this."

"Yeah, Weiss isn't as salty as she normally is." Ruby said, climbing down from her bed, "It's kinda weird."

Yang looked at the floor and smiled. "Do you think they know what's happening between them?"

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, "Do you think they're falling in love?"

Blake shook her head, "No, I don't think so, at least, not yet. But have you seen the way they look at each other? There's _something _there."

Ruby looked confused, "But they're completely different from each other. The first thing Weiss did when she met Mason was punch him in the face."

"They may be different," Blake said, "But they seem to balance each other out. I think they would be good together."

Yang smiled, "I just hope they enjoy themselves tonight. They both deserve it."

* * *

"Weiss, I'm telling you, red cotton t-shirts are much softer than white cotton t-shirts."

They were standing in the men's section of the Vale Clothing Outlet and Mason was holding a red t-shirt in his hand. This was the third clothing store they'd been to and Mason and Weiss were having a hard time finding anything they both liked.

"That makes no sense!" Weiss said, picking up a white t-shirt from the rack, "There is no difference between white and red cotton. They're both the same!"

Mason sighed, "Weiss, they are not the same. Red is softer!"

"Well then how come you wear white cotton shirts all the time?!"

"Look, I'm not saying white isn't comfortable," Mason stated, "In fact, I love white cotton! I just think that red is softer."

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, "Let's just find you something to wear, okay?"

"Fine, but this? This right here?" Mason pointed to the red shirt, "This isn't over."

Weiss sighed, "I'm sure it's not."

She walked down the Men's section. Sifting through the racks, she pulled out a silver sport coat. "How about this?"

Mason glanced up and looked at the coat, "Hmm..." He hummed, "I like it, but for tonight, I was thinking something a little more...casual." He pulled out a blue and white plaid button down shirt.

Weiss was taken aback as she pictured him in it, "Oh wow. That's...actually really nice."

Mason smiled, "So...you like it?"

"Yeah," She took it from his hand and examined it, "Yeah, I really like it."

Weiss handed it back to him and walked over to the jeans rack. She thumbed through the plethora of denim before coming across something she liked. Weiss pulled out a pair of black jeans. "What do you think?"

Mason slowly grinned, "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"So was this all you needed?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, I think that's it! That was easier than I thought it was going to be!" Mason said as he took the jeans from Weiss. He was about to walk away, but he pivoted on one foot and faced Weiss.

"Almost forgot this..." He said as he took the white shirt that she was still holding before walking toward the cash register

Weiss rolled her eyes playfully and followed after him.

* * *

The pair of them arrived back at the dorm with the plastic bags containing Mason's clothes in hand. They found a handwritten note on the door. Weiss picked it up and read it in her head.

"What's it say?" Mason asked.

Weiss set it down on the counter once they got inside, "It says they went out shopping and to see a movie and that they won't be back until tonight."

"Really?" Mason set the bags down next to his backpack, "I don't understand why they didn't just go with us. Is that all it said?"

Weiss turned red as she walked over to her bed, "Nope."

Mason picked up the note and read it.

_Mason & Weiss, _

_We're going to see a movie and go shopping today so we won't be back until later tonight. A girl's day while you two go on your little date! I hope everything goes well, but for the love of god, make sure you leave a sock on the door or something. We wouldn't want to walk in on you two or anything like that. _

_Have fun! _

_Love, Yang _

He crumpled the note up and tossed it in the wastebasket, "Yeah that's Yang, alright."

Weiss looked at the clock, "We still have a few hours left, what are we supposed to do until then?"

"Well, why don't we get changed and we'll play it by ear?" Mason suggested.

"Okay," Weiss huffed and went over to the closet. She pulled out an outfit and headed towards the bathroom, "I guess we can do that."

She left Mason there alone. He pulled out his new shirt and jeans and laid them out on Weiss' bed. He unzipped his hoodie and changed into his new outfit. He buttoned the blue plaid shirt up until it was just short of his neck before rolling the sleeves up until they were right under his elbows. He had just finished putting on his jeans when Weiss walked out of the bathroom.

She wore a blue bolero jacket that was similar to the one she normally wore with her skirt, only it was slightly darker. The collar was much smaller as were the sleeves, which were cuffed about halfway down her forearms. Underneath of the jacket was a white spaghetti strap undershirt. In place of her normal combat skirt and boots were a pair of light blue Capri jeans and low platform sandals.

They both stared at each other with wide eyes.

"Wow..." They both said in unison. Weiss brought her hand up to her mouth in embarrassment. Mason let out a small laugh.

"You look great!" It happened again. This time, Weiss smacked her forehead with her palm.

Mason walked up to her and with a smile he put a hand on her shoulder, "You l ook fantastic."

Weiss blushed a fiery shade of red. "Thank you," She straightened the collar on his shirt, "You don't look too bad yourself."

Mason grinned, "So do you have any idea what you want to do?"

"Well," Weiss began, "I wouldn't mind sitting outside again and having one of those delicious cups of coffee with you."

With a smirk, Mason said, "I think that's a great idea." He walked over to the door, "I'll be right back."

When Mason returned, he had two giant mugs of coffee with him.

"Weiss?" He called out.

"Out here!" She responded. She was already outside and waiting for him

Mason walked through the doors and found her sitting in a chair on the balcony. She had arranged another chair so they could sit next to each other and observe the trees and the sprawling landscape. He handed her the coffee and with a pompous accent, he said, "Here is your beverage, milady."

"Oh?" Weiss asked, taking the mug from his hands, "So you ARE a gentleman?"

Mason scoffed as he sat down next to her, "I'm always a gentleman!"

"Says the guy who walked in on me while I was using the bathroom?" She said before taking a sip of her own coffee.

Mason's head sunk, "How long are you going to hold that against me?"

Weiss cocked her head in thought, "I don't know. It depends on how well this evening goes."

Mason looked up and saw her flash a sly grin in his direction. He returned the gesture and the pair sat in silence and enjoyed each other's company for the better part of the next hour.

The two friends decided to pack up and leave once the sky started to get lighter and lighter. They left the dorm room and headed on down to the air shuttle that would take them to Downtown Vale.

* * *

Ruby, Yang, and Blake were doing their best to remain unseen.

"Do you see anything, Yang?" Ruby whispered.

Yang was looking through a pair of binoculars and swiftly replied, "No, nothing yet."

Blake was against their plan from the start, "Guys, I really don't think we should be doing this."

"Maybe she's right, Yang," Ruby squeaked, "What if we get caught?"

"We're not going to get caught," Yang said to Ruby, "Just keep your eyes peeled and stay out of sight."

They continued scanning the area for their objective. Ruby saw something in the distance and squinted to get a better look, "Quick, Yang, over by the doors!"

"I see it, I see it." She replied.

"Is it them?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, it's them. They just arrived." Yang said, focusing in on the figures in her binoculars.

"Ahem." A voice coughed out from behind them.

Yang turned around and saw a waiter standing there. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I believe you can," The waiter replied. "I'm going to have to ask you to put those away."

Yang looked at her binoculars, "These?"

"Yes, those," The waiter said, "I'm afraid they are against our privacy policy here at the Shining Anchor."

Yang nodded, "Okay, I'm sorry. I had no idea."

"It's quite alright, ma'am. And please, let us know when you're ready to order." The waiter turned and walked away.

Once he was gone, Yang pulled the binoculars back out with a sinister laugh.

Blake rolled her eyes, "Mason and Weiss are going to be really mad when they find out you guys have been spying on them."

Yang turned to Blake, "What do you mean 'you guys'? We're all in this together, sister!"

Blake sighed, "You're right, I'm guilty by association. I'm already too deeply involved."

"Exactly," Yang said confidently, "And second, they won't find out!"

"Just remind me, why are we spying on them again?" Blake asked.

Yang groaned, "We're not 'spying' on them. We're 'observing them'. There's a big difference."

"What are they doing now?" Ruby asked.

"They're just sitting there...talking." Yang replied.

Ruby strained to see what was happening, "Is she wearing…_normal _clothes?"

"Yeah, I think she is." Yang said.

"Can I use the binoculars?" Ruby asked her sister.

"No, Ruby." Yang replied, "You need to keep an eye out for anybody getting too suspicious."

Ruby pouted, "I never get to use the binoculars…"

* * *

"Oh wow!" Weiss said, marveling at the fountains of mermaids and old souvenirs from shipwrecks that adorned the walls, "This place is amazing!"

Mason smiled, "Yeah, it's really something else! A shipwreck-themed restaurant isn't something you come across everyday."

Their waiter soon stopped by with their menus, "Please take as much time as you need."

"Thanks," Mason said to the waiter before turning his attention to Weiss, "So, Weiss, are you having fun?"

"Yeah," She replied, putting down her menu, "Other than us arguing about which fabric is softer, I've been having a pretty nice time with you."

"I'm sticking to my guns about that, by the way." Mason said, "Red cotton is the softest kind of cotton."

Weiss shook her head, "You're killing the moment, Mason. Don't kill the moment."

"We were having a moment?" Mason asked.

"Yes, we were." Weiss said, "But you're killing it. Stop killing it."

Mason raised his hands in defense, "Alright, alright. No more cotton-talk."

"Good. When you kill the moment, it makes it harder to like you."

"Ahh," Mason said, "But you do like me?"

Weiss smiled, "I'm...starting to."

The waiter came back and said politely, "Are two ready to order?"

Mason nodded, "Yes, I'll have the Shrimp Scampi and a glass of Corstall."

The waiter wrote down Mason's order and turned to Weiss, "And you, madame?"

"Yes, I'll have the broiled Lobster Tail, and make mine a diet Corstall."

The waiter wrote Weiss' order down and before leaving, said "Your drinks will be ready shortly."

Weiss turned back to Mason, "So, where are you from?"

"I'm from here in Vale." Mason replied, "I never knew my real mother and father, but Ruby and Yang's uncle adopted me when I was really young. So, he's kind of the closest thing I have to a dad."

Weiss chuckled, "You mean you grew up with Yang and Ruby? I can't imagine what that must have been like."

"It wasn't all that bad," Mason said as the drinks arrived, "We had a lot of fun together. They're like my sisters."

"Really? You three are that close?"

Mason laughed, "Yeah, we would play all the time together. We may not be related by blood, but we're family."

Weiss smiled at the thought of little Yang, Ruby, and Mason running around and playing in a park. She had to admit, it was kind of cute.

Their food arrived shortly afterwards and the two continued their conversation throughout the meal.

"So what about you, Weiss?" Mason asked after swallowing a mouthful of shrimp and pasta, "What's your story?"

Weiss took a sip from her glass, "Well, my father owns the Schnee Dust Company. There's not much else to me than that."

"No siblings?"

"Nope," She said, "It was just me. I had friends I would play with, but no brothers or sisters."

"What was it like growing up as an heiress?"

Weiss looked down, "It was nice, most of the time. Other times, it was difficult. "

"How so?" Mason asked.

Weiss sighed, "Well, let's just say the White Fang made things difficult for my father, which by extension, made things difficult for me."

Mason was silent. He knew that her misfortunes as a kid were caused by his father. The shame was just one more thing that he inherited from his father, and he was forced to live with it.

Weiss and Mason were soon finished with their meal. Mason looked up at the skylight above them. The stars shone brightly through into the dimly lit restaurant. "The stars are really bright tonight."

Weiss followed his gaze to the roof. "Yes, they are. I've always loved watching the stars."

Mason's face slowly lit up as an idea popped into his head. He remembered hearing about it while he was getting on the airship from Atlas. He stopped the nearest waiter, "Excuse me, what's today's date?"

The waiter happily replied, "The fifteenth, sir."

Mason looked at the clock and smiled, "Thank you." He said to the waiter as he got up from the table and walked over to Weiss, "C'mon, if we leave now, we'll catch it just in time!"

Weiss was confused, "Catch what just in time?"

"You'll see." Mason said with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

* * *

"They're leaving!" Yang said, looking at Mason and Weiss get up from the table through her binoculars. She watched Mason pay the bill before exiting the restaurant.

Yang, Blake and Ruby started to make their way to the door, but were cut off by the very same waiter who had asked her to put away her binoculars not an hour before. He held out his hand and motioned for them to stop.

"You three, come with me." He said.

"Uh…um…." Ruby tried to formulate a plan, "LOOK! THOSE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING WITHOUT PAYING!" She said, pointing behind him.

The waiter spun around, "What?! Who didn't pay for their meal?"

The distraction lasted just long enough for Yang, Blake, and Ruby to escape.

They ran out the doors and headed towards the Beacon shuttle.

* * *

Mason and Weiss burst into the dorm room and ran out onto the balcony.

"Close your eyes for a minute and let them adjust to the darkness." Mason instructed Weiss.

She did as she was told and closed her eyes, "I swear, Mason you'd better not try anything funny…"

"Shh…" Mason said, guiding her down to the chair. After a minute, Mason gave Weiss the all clear, "Okay, open your eyes and look at the sky."

Weiss opened her eyes. She looked at the sky and saw little flashes of light streaking across the sky. "Is this a…meteor shower?"

Mason nodded his head, "This one in particular happens once every fifteen years." He sat down beside her and watched as she stared in awe at the increasing number of bright streaks lighting up the sky. The breathtaking streaks were so frequent, that it was almost as if they were painting a picture in the sky.

"You can't keep doing this to me." Weiss said, taking her eyes off the brilliant sky.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because," She said looking him in his deep blue eyes, "You're starting to cause me to like you more and more."

Mason smiled, "Maybe that's what I'm trying to do."

Weiss leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she whispered in his ear, "I think it's slowly working."

Mason smiled in response. But he knew that deep down he was going to have to tell her about his family eventually. It was a feeling that started eating away at him. He knew that the closer they got, the harder it would be. But for now, Mason decided to enjoy the moment and instead, sat there with Weiss as they watched the meteor shower brilliantly light up the sky.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for being so patient! This was definitely the hardest chapter I've had to write so far and I hope I didn't disappoint. Don't forget to drop a comment or a message and let me know how I'm doing!**


	6. Chapter Six: The First Day Jitters

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for all of the unwavering support that you guys are giving me! Anyway, that's all I have to say for now, so enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter Six: The First Day Jitters

Yang, Ruby, and Blake had made it back to their dorm safely after running from the Shining Anchor. They walked into the room and found it empty.

"Where are they?" Ruby asked.

Blake glanced around the room and her eyes fell upon the glass doors, "Are they outside?"

They walked through the doors and stepped out onto the balcony. None of them could believe what they were seeing. It defied all logic and quite possibly went against everything they had come to know. They each had a blank stare in their eyes as the three girls began to process the scene in front of them.

They were out on the balcony, standing in front of Weiss and Mason. Both of them had fallen asleep under the stars in their chairs. Weiss was now resting her head on Mason's shoulder and his head gently leaned against hers. After a few moments, Ruby was the first to break the silence.

"Ummm..." Ruby whispered, "What are they doing?"

Yang smiled, "Well, it looks like they're sleeping."

Weiss nuzzled her head deeper into Mason's shoulder and let out a brief, sleepy moan. Blake smiled as Ruby and Yang simultaneously said "Awwwww" as quietly as they could.

"Should we wake them up?" Ruby asked the others.

Blake shook her head, "No, let's just leave them in peace."

"You're right," Yang agreed, "Plus, I REALLY want to see how this plays out tomorrow morning."

Ruby, Blake, and Yang strolled back inside and shut the balcony doors. Ruby was walking to her bed when she nearly tripped over a box that sat on the floor. She steadied herself and looked at the note attached to it.

"Hey guys," Ruby said, holding the note above her head, "Mason's uniform and scroll are here."

Yang walked over and lifted the box up, "I wonder what classes we'll have together." She looked at Ruby, "Do you wanna find out?"

"I don't know about you guys," Blake said as she made her way to her bunk, "But I think I've had enough espionage for one day. Why don't you get ready for bed? It's late enough as it is."

Yang sighed, "Okay, point taken."

Ruby set the box back down and headed into the bathroom to get changed for bed.

* * *

The cool morning breeze that swept against Mason's face was enough to wake him up the next morning. He'd slept through the entire night for the first time since coming to Beacon. He felt something lightly brush his nose, causing him to open his eyes.

Mason found Weiss sleeping next to him. Her head was lying on his shoulder, and her hair occasionally blew about in the breeze. He couldn't help thinking how adorable she looked. The sun had just come over the horizon and its rays made her seem almost angelic. Mason tried to get up without disturbing Weiss, but her arm shot out from beside her and grabbed his hand.

"No, don't get up," She said, pulling him closer, "Stay just a little bit longer."

With a grin, Mason did as she asked and sat back in the chair. "Weiss, I had no idea you were getting so attached to me."

She laughed, "Who said I was getting attached to you? You're just a really comfy pillow."

"I'm a comfy pillow?" He asked, slightly confused.

"Mmm hmm," She hummed.

Mason shrugged, "I'll take it." He put his arm around her and she sighed.

"You're really making it hard for me not to like you."

He looked her in the eyes and smiled, "I know."

After that, no words were said between them for quite a while. However, the peaceful silence was shattered when Yang walked outside, carrying a box. Weiss' head shot up from Mason's shoulder and she sat up straight in her seat.

"Good morning, you two!" She said, enthusiastically, "What are you guys up to?"

Weiss turned red, "Nothing. We just woke up."

"Oh really?" Yang asked, "How was your date last night?"

Weiss sighed. She had pretty much given up on convincing everybody, including herself, that it wasn't a date. "It was very pleasant."

Yang smirked, "Good! I had a feeling it was!"

Mason stretched his arms, "What's up, Yang?"

"I'm here to give you this!" Yang pointed to the box, "Here you go, Tiger!" She tossed it to Mason.

He caught the box and noticed it was fairly heavy, "What's this?"

Yang put her hands on her hips, "That is your school uniform and your Scroll."

Mason held the box at eye level, "This is my uniform? A box? What are you trying to say, Yang?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, "No, you dolt. It's _inside _the box."

Mason put his hand on her shoulder, "I know, Weiss. It was a joke."

Weiss huffed and rolled her eyes.

He opened the box and pulled out a small rectangular device with a diamond insignia in the middle. "So, what will I use this for?" He pressed the diamond and the rectangle split vertically, causing the sides to become hand grips. In between the grips, the screen deployed.

"You'll use that to communicate with us, your professors, and anybody you want, really. It will also monitor your aura and life signs as well as your teammate's life signs." Weiss replied, "It's basically a really small computer."

"Yeah," Yang added, "You can also take pictures and videos with it!"

Mason nodded, "This thing will definitely come in handy." He collapsed the Scroll into its compact form and set it aside. He then reached in the box and pulled out a black suit jacket with a gold lining. "What the hell is this...?"

"That's your school uniform!" Yang replied.

"Really?" Mason said, holding it up to his chest, "Now, I kind of wish it was the box..."

Weiss rolled her eyes, "Oh, quit complaining. You'll look handsome."

"Are you saying I'm not handsome already?" Mason said with a crooked smile.

Weiss was flustered, "I...um...I never said..." Admitting defeat, she huffed and stood up from her chair, "I'm going to get changed."

Mason watched as Weiss walked into the dorm, leaving him alone with Yang. "She is so confusing..." He said as he put the suit jacket back in the box.

"That's Weiss for you." Yang stated, "Are you ready for your first day of class?"

Mason nodded, "As ready as I'll ever be." He stood up with his box stowed under his arm, "I guess I'll go try this on."

He walked into the dorm with Yang behind him and found Ruby and Blake getting their things ready for class. They were already dressed in their uniforms; a brown jacket over a white shirt and a red plaid skirt.

"Good morning, ladies."

Blake turned to face him, "Good morning, Mason!"

"How was last night?" Ruby asked, "Did you and Weiss have fun?"

Mason nodded, "Yeah, we had a lot of fun!" Just then, a thought crossed his mind, "How do I know what classes I have?"

"Try looking in the box," Blake suggested, "There should be a schedule in there."

Mason did as she suggested and rummaged through the box. Sure enough, he found a piece of paper with his classes on it. In a flash of red, Ruby ran over and took the paper from his hands and studied it.

"Hmm," She said aloud, "You actually have a few classes with us!"

"Like what?" Mason asked.

"Well," Ruby eyeballed the schedule, "You have PT with Weiss and me, Grimm Studies with all of us, and then we have lunch. After that, I'm pretty sure you have History with Blake and Weiss..."

Blake walked over and looked at the paper. She confirmed Ruby's statement with a nod.

"And finally, we all conclude the day with Dueling." Ruby handed Mason the schedule, "You have at least two of us in each class!"

Weiss came out of the bathroom dressed in her uniform and Ruby informed her of Mason's schedule.

"Well, at least we'll be able to study together." Weiss said, walking past Mason to her bed.

Mason picked the box containing his new uniform off of the floor, "I guess I'll go and get ready then."

He walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Mason glanced at himself in the mirror and sighed before getting ready for a shower.

* * *

Weiss sat down on the edge of her bed, "If you guys wanna get some breakfast, I can wait here for Mason."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked as she affixed her hood to her jacket.

"Yeah, I'll see you in class, Ruby." Weiss replied.

"Okay then," Ruby said as she, Yang, and Blake walked out the door, "See you guys in a while!"

The door shut behind them and Weiss was now alone in the dorm. It wasn't long afterwards when she heard the shower turn off in the bathroom. She waited a few minutes before walking over to the bathroom door and knocking on it.

"Mason," She said, "Are you dressed?"

Mason's voice replied from the other side of the door, "Yeah."

"Can I come in?" She asked.

"Yeah," He said, "Come on in."

Weiss turned the knob and opened the door. There, she found Mason dressed in his uniform, leaning over with both hands on the counter and looking in the mirror. He looked like something was bothering him. She walked over and put her hand on Mason's shoulder, "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head, "No, I...I don't know. Maybe I'm just nervous."

"Don't be," She said, "You're going to be fine."

Mason sighed heavily.

"Come here," She pulled him away from the counter and surprised him with a gentle hug, "It's just a case of the butterflies. You have nothing to worry about."

Mason returned her embrace, "Thanks, Weiss."

She pulled back and saw his tie. It was askew and too loose around his neck, "Here, let me fix this." Weiss tightened his tie and set it straight, "There, how's that?"

"Much better." Mason held his arms out to his side, "How do I look?"

Weiss took a step back and admired his outfit, "You look rather dashing."

"Well, thank you very much!" Mason said with a smile.

A sly smirk crossed Weiss' face, "Too bad you're going to have to take it off soon..."

Mason's expression turned into that of a deer in headlights as he muttered, "...What?"

Weiss laughed, "Our first class is Physical Training. You don't expect to wear _that_ do you?"

Mason groaned, "What am I supposed to wear then?"

"C'mon, follow me." She led him out of the bathroom and walked out of the dorm.

Mason grabbed his backpack from the corner and left with Weiss.

* * *

Weiss and Mason arrived at the gymnasium.

"Wait here." She walked up to the kiosk in the wall. Behind the glass sat a middle aged man with wispy brown hair and a long beard. She muttered something to him and he looked at Mason. With a grunt, he handed her something. Weiss turned around and walked back to Mason. "Here," She handed him a grey t-shirt and a pair of navy blue mesh shorts, "This is your PT outfit."

Mason sighed, "At least it looks comfortable."

Weiss rolled her eyes, "Just go and change," She pointed to the locker room, "I'll meet you inside."

"Alright, I'll see you there." He walked off in the direction of the locker room.

* * *

Mason changed into his PT attire and was about to leave the room. However, on his way out the door, he was knocked to the ground by a young man with blonde hair as he came running past.

"Sorry!" He said, stopping to help Mason to his feet, "I didn't see you there."

Mason waved it off, "Ah, it's okay. This kind of thing happens more often than you'd think." He extended his hand, "Name's Mason. Mason Griffon."

"I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc." Jaune politely shook Mason's hand, "It was nice to meet you, Mason, but I just remembered I have somewhere to be right now."

Mason nodded, "I understand. It was nice to meet you too Jaune! I'll see you around!"

"See ya!" Jaune said as he walked past Mason, "Gee, I hope Pyrrha isn't mad at me!"

Mason walked out of the locker room and into the gymnasium. It was a massive room full of all manner of exercise equipment. There was a boxing ring as well as a standard Dueling stage. A track circled the perimeter of the gym. He even spotted a rock-climbing wall that spanned the height of the room. Professor Goodwitch was strolling around the room, taking notes and monitoring the students. He scanned the gym and found Weiss and Ruby standing off to the side, dressed in the same attire that he was wearing.

"Hey Mason!" Ruby waved at him with a smile on her face.

"Hey guys," He walked towards them, "So what do we do here?"

"It's just a realllly big gym!" Ruby said, "You can use any of the equipment you want."

"Really?" Mason remembered the rock-climbing wall on the far side of the training area and sprinted towards it. Ruby smiled and Weiss watched in awe as Mason bypassed the safety harness and leapt straight onto the wall. Using his hands and legs, he scaled the entire length of the wall. However, he didn't stop at the top.

He continued to climb and pulled himself up into the rafters. Any sense of nervousness that he had felt earlier that morning had subsided and was now replaced with adrenaline flowing through his body. He held his arms out to balance himself as he moved ridiculously fast across a horizontal beam and sat, perched like a bird on the beam. "How's the view, ladies!?" he yelled down to Ruby and Weiss.

Weiss stared with her mouth open. Ruby on the other hand, shouted back, "You look really small!"

He heard an ear piercing whistle blow from the ground and Goodwitch's voice echoed throughout the room, "MR. GRIFFON!"

"Uh-oh…" He whispered to himself. He saw Weiss shake her head while she pinched the bridge of her nose. Mason then jumped down from the rafters. He used his aura to soften his landing. Righting himself, he walked over to Goodwitch, "Yes, ma'am?"

She had her hands placed on her hips and a stern look in her eyes, "What were you doing up there?"

"Uhhh…" Mason nervously scratched the back of his neck, "Climbing?"

"Hmphh," She huffed, "While I must admit that little spectacle of yours was quite impressive, I do not appreciate you putting yourself and others in danger simply for you to show off to Miss Schnee."

Mason was blown away, "I…I wasn't…why would you…"

"Don't play coy with me," She said as a small smirk crossed her face, "Miss Rose informed me this morning of your little…escapade last night."

Mason slumped over, "I see…"

"This is your first day of class, Mr. Griffon, so I'll let it slide. But the next time you decide to show off…" Goodwitch looked in Weiss' direction, "Make sure you're not putting anyone in harm's way."

Mason nodded and she sent him on his way. He walked back over to Weiss and Ruby.

"What did she say?" Ruby asked.

Mason smiled at her and shook his head, "She didn't really say anything."

Weiss raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean? She didn't reprimand you?"

He looked over at her, "No, she cut me a break since it's my first day of class."

"You're lucky," She said with her arms crossed, "She doesn't give many students a free pass."

Mason sighed and put his arm around Weiss' shoulders. He looked at the track and an idea found its way into his head, "Are you ladies up for a little race?"

* * *

After class, they had changed into their uniforms and were headed to Grimm Studies.

"Ruby!' Weiss exclaimed, "I still can't believe you cheated!"

"No I didn't!" Ruby giggled, "Nobody said that I couldn't use my semblance!"

"We shouldn't have to!" Weiss refuted, "It's _implied_ that you shouldn't use your semblance during a competition!"

Mason mused at Weiss and Ruby's bickering, "You guys are too funny."

The trio arrived at the Grimm Studies lecture hall. There were sketches of Grimm creatures everywhere, and even a golden bust of someone who looked very important. There, they were greeted by Blake and Yang.

"Hey, you guys!" Yang said enthusiastically, "Hurry up and sit down!"

Mason, Ruby, and Weiss filed in and sat down. Mason found himself between Blake and Ruby.

The instructor, Professor Port, walked through the door. Mason then realized that the golden bust was a sculpture of Port, himself.

Port was a very enthusiastic man and he sure liked to talk. As a matter of fact, he liked to talk a lot about himself. Mason looked over at Ruby and all she did was draw amusing caricatures of Professor Port on the back of her notes while he was saying something about hunting down an Ursa Major back in his youth.

Mason had his fair share of Grimm encounters in his young life. He had only just turned 18 and he had already had several near death encounters with the Grimm. The most recent had occurred during his initiation. But he knew deep down that the Grimm weren't the only threat to Remnant. The White Fang were rising in power. Nobody would admit it, but they were getting bolder by the day, and they would soon strike. There had to be someone pulling their strings. Mason had seen it coming for a while, even before he had learned about the incident on the docks. During his travels, he'd heard rumors of a paradigm shift within the White Fang. They were going to try something soon. He knew that he had to be ready when that day…

"Mr. Griffon?" Professor Port said, his awesome mustache bobbing with his mouth.

"Yes, sir?" Mason jolted in his seat as he snapped back to reality.

"Can you answer the question?"

Mason slumped in his seat, "What question, sir?"

Professor Port might have frowned, but no one could tell, thanks to his mustache. "Well then, maybe you would like to _demonstrate_ how to take down a fully grown Boarbatusk?"

Mason sighed as he nodded and rose from his seat, "Yes, sir."

"Ah, splendid!" Port said, raising his hands in excitement, "Go and change into your combat attire while I prepare Edgar."

Weiss raised her hand as Mason scooted past her.

"Yes, dear girl?"

"Wasn't the last Boarbatusk's name Edgar?"

Port gave a hearty laugh, "Why, my dear girl, you don't understand. Edgar… is the one in the cage."

Ruby leaned in next to Weiss and whispered, "He means that anything that lives in that cage is named 'Edgar'."

"I know what he means!" Weiss snapped back at Ruby.

Sometime later, Mason walked through the door in a gray hooded combat shirt and black cargo pants. A thin bronze chest plate was affixed in the center of the shirt as well as small bronze pads on each of his shoulders. He walked to the middle of the large room before sliding his gauntlets over his wrists.

"Are you ready, Mr. Griffon?"

Mason smiled as he deployed his claws, "Yes, sir."

"Then begin!" Port brought down his blunderbuss-axe on the padlock that kept the beast encaged and ducked out of the way as the creature of Grimm burst through the door.

* * *

Roman Torchwick was standing in the middle of a dilapidating warehouse in front of a hulking figure with wolf ears.

"I'm telling you, Shaw," Roman said to the brute of a Faunus that stood before him, "The boss wants the Dust, and she would be sorely disappointed if we didn't deliver it."

"But where are we going to find that much Dust?" Shaw, the Faunus replied.

Roman smiled, "Think for a minute, you brute. Where in all of Remnant would one find all that Dust?"

Shaw growled at Roman's insult, "The Schnee Dust Factory."

"Ah!" Roman patted Shaw on the back, "Good! At least not everyone in the White Fang is incompetent!" He walked in a circle around Shaw, "Now, who is the most accessible person that would know the easiest way to gain access to said factory?

Shaw snarled, baring his fangs, "The girl would know."

"Right!" Roman said twirling his cane, "So, find the girl, and get it out of her by any means necessary."

Shaw nodded, "What do we do with her after we get the information?"

As Roman walked away, he replied, "Use your imagination!"

Shaw roared and his fellow White Fang comrades stepped out from the shadows, "Bring me Weiss Schnee!"

* * *

**A/N: Any Achievement Hunter fans catch the little nods I threw in there? There's two of 'em and they aren't terribly hard to miss. Thanks to spideyk for helping me out with Mason's combat gear! As always, leave a comment or drop a message and tell me how I'm doing!**


	7. Chapter Seven: Just Like Old Times

**A/N: Here's Chapter Seven! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Seven: Just Like Old Times

The Boarbatusk charged at Mason. Lowering himself to the ground, he held his claws in front of him and braced for the impact. The animal's tusks crashed against the blades, violently rattling every bone in Mason's body. But even so, he held his ground and the two were deadlocked in the center of the room.

Mason stared into its red, soulless eyes. The beast snorted and he felt the hot breath against his face.

"You're an angry fella, aren't you?" Mason muttered under his breath.

The Boarbatusk squealed as if it understood him. It took a step back and slammed into Mason again, but this time, he was pushed back a step. The creature took note of this and prepared to ram him again. Just before the Boarbatusk made contact, Mason took a sidestep and watched the beast run right past him.

It slowed down and turned to face Mason. A crooked grin made its way across his face. The Boarbatusk charged once again and this time, Mason was ready. He leapt into the air and landed on its back. It snorted and squealed as Mason held on to its fur. He tried to stab it, but every strike resulted in sparks flying from his claws.

Realizing that it was useless in trying to puncture the Boarbatusk's thick armor, Mason raised his right fist. The claws retracted into the gauntlet and the metal plates began to shift, forming a glove of steel around his hand.

The Boarbatusk began kicking and jumping around in an effort to knock Mason off its back. The match had quickly turned into a rodeo as Mason struggled to maintain his balance on the animal. Once he caught a firm hold of the beast, he began pounding his steel-encased fist on the armored plates. The sound of clanging metal echoed through the room. The Boarbatusk's armor began to crack and Mason bashed his gloved hand even harder against the bone plating.

The resulting vibrations rattled his teeth. He raised his fist once more and delivered a crushing blow. The armor gave way with a loud crunch. The glove retracted from Mason's hand and his claws reemerged from his gauntlet. With a swift stab, he buried his claws in the flesh of the Boarbatusk. It thrashed about and Mason twisted his fist, causing even more damage to the creature.

The beast began to stagger. Mason pressed his blades even deeper, delivering the final blow. The Boarbatusk toppled to the ground, bringing Mason down with it. After several deep, heaving breaths, Mason withdrew his claws from the beast's hide.

"Sorry, big fella." Mason said as he patted the Boarbatusk's head.

He got to his feet and looked at the students in their seats. There was a deafening silence in the room. Everybody just stared at him with blank expressions, including Professor Port. That is, until Yang stood up. She raised both her arms in the air.

"YEEAAAAHHHHH!" Yang roared, clapping her hands, "That's what I'm talking about!"

The rest of the class followed suit with a wave of applause. Mason took a bow as Professor Port appeared at his side.

"Good show, lad," Port said, giving Mason a congratulatory pat on the back, "Good show!"

Mason wiped the sweat from his brow, "Thanks, Professor!"

Port placed his hand on his shoulder, "That was quite a performance! Although I do hope that you will pay more attention in class."

"I'm sorry, sir," Mason shook his head, it won't happen again."

"Good!" Port's mustache curled upwards, forming a smile. He turned to the rest of the students, "Class dismissed!"

* * *

"You do know that the underside of a Boarbatusk is unprotected, right?"

Weiss was speaking to Mason. The two of them were walking along with Ruby, Blake, and Yang. They were all heading to the dining hall for lunch.

Mason looked at Weiss and with a laugh, he said, "I know."

She raised an eyebrow, "Then why didn't you target it? You could have won in a heartbeat!"

A crooked smile crossed his face, "And where's the fun in that?"

Weiss rolled her eyes and continued walking forward.

Yang sauntered to Mason's side and gave him a friendly punch in the arm, "So, Tiger, how's your first day going?"

"Well," Mason sighed and began counting with his fingers, "So far I've only had two classes and I've been scolded by both Professors, thrown into an impromptu match with a giant evil pig, and actually managed to get a round of applause from my peers for defeating said evil pig." Mason shrugged his shoulders, "I'd say that's a good day."

"Well don't forget," Yang threw her arm around his shoulder, "You still have two classes left. You might even set something on fire in that time!"

Mason and company had finally arrived at the dining hall. Its long tables reminded him of the arrangement of the tables at Signal Academy. They entered the kitchen and each picked up a tray. There was a surprisingly expansive selection of food that he could have chosen, and after a bit of an internal conflict between having a ham sandwich or a bowl of chicken-corn chowder, he settled on the thing that would be the least likely to upset his stomach. Mason picked up the ham sandwich and left to join the others.

He found his friends sitting directly across from another team. There were two girls, one with red hair and the other with orange hair, and two guys, one with black and and the other with blonde hair. He recognized the blonde as Jaune, the one who had bowled him over in the locker room earlier in the day.

Mason was a tad hesitant to meet these new strangers. Not because he didn't like meeting people, but ever since he had arrived at Beacon, just about every encounter with someone new had ended with Mason being punched or knocked down. However, he shook it off, walked over to the table and sat between Weiss and Ruby, who practically jumped out of her seat as she introduced him.

"Guys, this is Mason! He's me and Yang's cousin."

The red haired girl smiled and waved at him, "Hello, Mason! My name is Pyrrha."

"Nice to meet you, Pyrrha!" He replied.

The girl with the orange hair waved her arms around excitedly to get Mason's attention, "Hi there! My name's Nora and this is Ren!" She pointed to the black haired boy.

Ren simply smiled, "Hello."

Jaune was seated next to Pyrrha. He nervously waved at Mason, "Hey, Mason."

"Nice to see you again!" Mason said to Jaune.

"You two have already met?" Blake asked.

"Yeah," Mason answered, "We kind of...bumped into each other this morning."

"Well that is quite a coincidence!" Pyrrha stated, looking at Jaune, "Is that why you were late for your training?"

"Uh...yeah," Jaune scratched the back of his head, "I'm still sorry about that.."

Pyrrha patted him on the shoulder, "Just don't make a habit out of it."

"So, where are you from, Mason?" Jaune asked.

Mason informed them about his childhood and his time spent with Yang and Ruby when they were kids. He decided it was best to leave out the parts about his real father. He didn't want Weiss to find out. If he told her, he was certain that she would hate him for it.

"So what was it like growing up with these two?" Pyrrha asked, "Any interesting stories?"

Mason grinned, "Well, there was that one time Yang tripped over her shoe laces and her braces got stuck in the carpet..."

The table erupted with laughter. Yang nearly spit out her drink, "What!?" She glared at Mason, "What...why would you say that?"

"Because it was funny!" Mason replied.

An evil grin crossed Yang's face, "Well, you've given me some great stories too..."

Mason's smile faded, "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about that time you jumped out of the shower and ran naked into the hallway because you saw a spider."

"You said you wouldn't tell anybody about that!" Mason said, trying to sound serious and keep from laughing at the same time.

Weiss cracked a smile, "How long ago was this?"

Before Mason could answer, Yang butted in, "Fairly recently."

"It was two years ago," Mason defended himself, "And it came out of nowhere! It took me by surprise."

Weiss pursed her lips in an attempt to mask her smile, but Mason could see it. With a sly smirk, he said, "C'mon, Weiss, you know wish that you were there."

Her cheeks turned bright red and she looked at him. Her eyes narrowed and with her lips still pursed, she mouthed the words, "Shut up."

* * *

After lunch, Mason was walking with Weiss, Blake, Pyrrha, and Jaune to their next class; History with Professor Oobleck.

"So what's this Professor like?" Mason asked the group.

Jaune laughed, "Do you know how Ruby can run really really fast?"

Mason nodded.

"Well, picture him like that...only all the time." Jaune stated.

Pyrrha turned to Jaune, "Did you do all of your work for today?"

"Yeah," He replied, "I have it."

"Good! You need all of the points you can get." Pyrrha said.

Mason was walking next to Weiss. She had an odd looking smile on her face.

"What are you so happy about?" He asked.

"Nothing," She replied, "I'm just picturing you freaking out in the shower over a little spider"

Mason laughed, "It's not that funny, Weiss."

"But it's pretty funny in my head." Weiss stated.

"Look, I was freaked out and I didn't have time to grab my towel and...can we just not discuss it?"

Weiss looked him in the eye and in a mocking tone said, "But where's the fun in that?"

* * *

Jaune was right, Professor Oobleck moved on all cylinders. Mason had to focus to even keep track of him in the room. Oobleck even talked like he was in a hurry. Mason furiously scrawled in his notebook just so he could keep up. His handwriting looked like it was scratched into the paper by a Beowolf.

Mason looked at Weiss in the seat next to him. She wrote calmly and her handwriting was elegant.

"How do you do that?" Mason whispered.

"What do you mean?" Weiss said without looking up from her notes.

"How do you write everything down and keep your handwriting as nice as you do?"

"Well unlike you, I don't keep getting distracted by looking the person next to me." She replied, "Stop worrying about what I'm doing and focus on yourself."

"Sorry..." Mason sighed and went back to scratching his notes into his paper.

Weiss rolled her eyes and leaned in Mason's direction, "Don't write down everything word-for-word. Only take note of the important points."

Mason looked up at Weiss and smiled, "Thanks for the advice."

Oobleck's voice stopped abruptly, "Ahem..."

Mason turned back to the blackboard and saw Oobleck looking directly at him. He nervously smiled and waved at his Professor.

Oobleck frowned and as soon as he appeared, he was a blur once again.

Mason glanced at Weiss, who was already working on her notes. She noticed him and slightly turned her head in his direction. Weiss smiled and shook her head before returning her attention back to her papers.

* * *

The last class of the day was now upon them and for Mason it couldn't have come any sooner. Mason changed into his combat gear, and he, Weiss, and Blake made their way to the Amphitheater where they met up with Ruby and Yang.

"Hey, Tiger!" Yang greeted him, "Are you ready for your first dueling lesson?"

Mason laughed, "As ready as I'll ever be."

The students filed into the seats and Professor Goodwitch walked out onto the stage.

"Good afternoon," She said, "Today's class may be relatively short, or it could be prolonged a great deal. That all depends on the length of today's match."

The room was silent as Goodwitch spoke.

"There will be special conditions for this match. You all have your weapons and most of you are quite proficient in using them. However, there may come a time where using a weapon is not an option. Today's combatants will be stripped of their weapons and as a result, will be forced to use hand to hand tactics. Do I have any volunteers?"

Both Yang and Mason's hands flew up in the air.

Goodwitch scanned the room. There were plenty of volunteers, but only one pair stood out to her the most.

"Well this should be interesting..." She said aloud, "Mr. Griffon and Miss Xiao Long, please make your way to the stage."

Mason and Yang looked at each other.

"Are you sure you wanna do this? You look a bit rusty..." She teased him as she stood from her seat.

"Oh please," Mason stood up and followed her to the stage, "You're going down, Goldilocks."

They both stepped up onto the stage and stood in front of Professor Goodwitch, who laid out the rules.

"There will be no weapons, no cheating, and no time limit. Please remove your weapons and stand on the white "X" on your respective side of the stage. The match will begin when you hear the whistle. The winner will be decided when the opposing duelist's aura has been depleted. Good luck to the both of you."

Yang and Mason stripped themselves of their gauntlets. They shared a boxing-style fist bump and took their mark on each side of the stage.

"You ready to dance, Tiger?" Yang taunted him.

Mason laughed, "You bet! Just like old times?"

Yang picked up on his cue and readied her boxing stance, "Just like old times."

Then, the lights dimmed and the whistle blew.

* * *

Before the whistle had even blown, Mason knew that he was the one with the disadvantage. The last time they had sparred like this was before Mason left for Atlas. Yang was strong, quick, and could outlast him in a fight any day of the week.

Mason may have had his semblance on his side, but it would be useless against exhaustion. He would only have a chance if he kept up the pressure, and denied her any leverage. If he failed to do so, and if Yang gained any momentum, he would be finished.

* * *

The two opponents stood opposite one another, each waiting for the other to make a move. The tension in the air could have been cut with a knife. Then, Mason and Yang charged at each other.

Blake and Weiss winced, expecting there to be some kind of explosion. But there was only silence after the whistle. Ruby looked on in excitement. Weiss and Blake now realized what they were seeing. Mason and Yang were indeed engaged in combat. The two of them were like two fighters in a boxing match, but neither of their blows hit one another. It was like a well choreographed dance. The two of them gracefully exchanged and blocked each other's furious punches.

"Still think I'm rusty?" Mason said sarcastically.

"You've still got it, I'll give you that!" Yang replied.

Mason threw a left hook, but Yang blocked it and countered with one of her own, making contact with the side of his head.

"But I'm still better!" She yelled, hitting him with a roundhouse kick that nearly knocked Mason's teeth out.

His plan had fallen apart and Yang had all of the momentum she needed to win. In a last ditch attempt to save himself from unadulterated beat down, Mason lunged at Yang and tackled her to the floor.

She kicked him off and leapt to her feet. She could see Mason starting to slip up. All of the blows to his head had begun exhausting his aura and in turn, exhausting himself. She reared her fist back for one more blow and unleashed it against Mason's head.

He fell to the ground in a daze. He tried to sit up, but Yang pressed her boot down on his chest, pushing him back to the ground.

Goodwitch blew the whistle and ended the match.

"You okay, Tiger?" Yang asked, "Can you see straight?"

"I think you're right," Mason laughed as he rested his hand on her boot, "I think I am a little rusty."

She removed her foot from his chest and helped him to his feet.

Goodwitch reappeared on the stage, "Mr. Griffon's aura has dropped to zero. The winner of this bout is Miss Xiao Long."

Weiss sat in her seat. She clapped along with the rest of the class, but something was troubling her. Mason's last name was "Griffon". For some reason, she felt like she should know that name. She knew she'd heard it when she was a child, but that was a long time ago. She'd continued to rack her brain for the information even after Yang and Mason had returned from the stage.

* * *

"That was great, you guys!" Ruby said excitedly as she and the others walked down the corridor, "I love it when you guys do that!"

Mason laughed, "Yeah, but it always hurts afterwards!"

"Not if you're the winner!" Yang said in a sing-song voice.

"Nobody likes a show off, Yang." Blake stated.

"See! Blake's got my back!" Mason high-fived Blake and turned to Weiss. He could see that something was bothering her. "Is something wrong, Weiss?"

"Hmm?" She snapped out of her thoughts, "No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just...I'm going to the library to study until dinner."

"Really?" Mason asked, "I can help you if you want."

"No," She replied, "No, I just need some peace and quiet right now. I'll see you guys later."

Mason smiled, "Okay then! See you at dinner!"

Weiss walked off down the adjacent hallway. Mason watched her go. He had the feeling something was bothering her.

_"__I hope she's okay." _He thought to himself.

* * *

Weiss sat down at a table in the library. She was determined to find out where she had previously heard Mason's name. It was eating away at her. Somehow, she managed to calm her thoughts and think of a plan.

If she'd heard it when she was little, then it would almost certainly have something to do with her family's company. Knowing this, she tried to track down a copy a book that might help her.

Eventually, she found a book called, _The History of Vale's Dust Industry. _ She opened the book and spent the next few hours reading it, scouring the pages for any mention of the last name "Griffon".

After hours of searching, Weiss had found what she was looking for.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! This one took a while to write, but I hope it paid off. As always, drop me a comment or a message and let me know how I'm doing!**


	8. Chapter Eight: The Cat's Out Of The Bag

**A/N: Thanks for being so patient! Here's Chapter Eight!**

* * *

Chapter Eight: The Cat's Out Of The Bag

Ruby, Mason, Blake, and Yang were waiting around in their dorm for dinner. They'd been there for more than an hour. Yang was lying on her bed with her feet hanging over the edge. She was on her scroll playing with Ruby, who was also on her bed. Blake was outside reading one of her books.

Mason was leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and a distant look in his eyes. He felt inexplicably uneasy.

"What's wrong, Tiger?" Yang said in a smug tone. "Are you upset because I beat you?"

"Hmm?" Mason snapped back to reality. "Nope. Besides, we both know that if we had our weapons, I would've won!"

Yang waved it off. "Eh, whatever. I won. You lost. That's how the cookie crumbles!"

"Ugh," Ruby moaned and rubbed her stomach. "Don't mention cookies."

Mason rolled his eyes and smiled. "Man, I missed you guys."

"Yeah," Yang replied. "We missed you too!"

Mason walked out of the room and onto the balcony. There he found Blake sitting in one of the chairs and reading a book.

Blake could instantly tell something was wrong with him as he leaned against the railing. "What's wrong, Mason?"

He sighed, "I think I need to tell her, Blake."

"What do you mean?" Blake set her book aside.

"I mean, I think I need to come clean with Weiss." He said.

Blake walked over and stood beside him. "Are you sure?"

Mason thought for a moment and hung his head. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Blake looked into the distance. "When do you plan on doing this?"

"I'm not sure. But I know I need to."

"As I said before," Blake said, "You need to wait for the right moment."

Mason turned to face Blake. "But...what if she finds out before I'm ready to tell her?"

"If that happens, Mason," Blake started. "Then you just have to..."

She was interrupted by Yang, who poked her head outside. "C'mon guys, we're ready to go. Ruby's going to start gnawing on her arm if she doesn't eat something soon."

"Okay," Mason replied. "We're coming."

"We'll talk about this later." Blake said as she walked with him through the door.

Mason tailed Blake, Yang, and Ruby out of the dorm. He rounded a corner and felt someone grab his earlobe.

"You're coming with me." Weiss spoke harshly as she dragged him by his ear back into the dorm. She shut the door and locked it behind her before releasing Mason.

"Ow!" He rubbed his ear. "What...why would you do that?"

Weiss walked up to him and stuck her finger in his face. "I am only going to ask this once, and you had better give me an answer."

A lump had formed in Mason's throat. "Ask away."

"Your father...who was he?"

Mason inhaled deeply, there was no sense in lying to her. He sat down on her bed and slowly exhaled. "My father...my _real _father, was one of the original members of the White Fang."

* * *

"I swear, he was right behind me..." Yang said as she looked at the crowd of people coming from the kitchen with their food.

"It IS quite curious," Blake sat down next to Yang. "One does not simply vanish into thin air."

Ruby sat down at the table with a tray full of turkey sandwiches and cookies. "Did you find out where he went?"

"No," Yang replied. "But I am a bit concerned with your cookie intake ratio."

"There's a cookie intake ratio?" Ruby looked surprised.

Yang laughed. "If there isn't, it should be invented just for you."

Ruby smiled and went back to her sandwich/cookie buffet. "Do you think he's with Weiss?"

"Probably," Yang said with a devilish smile. "It wouldn't surprise me if they wanted to have a little fun."

* * *

Weiss' face turned red with anger. She spoke through gritted teeth. "You...you're one of them, aren't you? And to think I thought of you as a friend..."

"No. I'm not one of them, Weiss," He said in his defense. "I never was."

Weiss threw her arms in the air, "How do I know you're telling the truth?! Conroy Griffon nearly destroyed everything my family built and now I'm sitting here with his son. For all I know, you could be here to kill me!"

"Weiss, listen," Mason calmly spoke, his head slumped and faced the floor. "All my life, I've been plagued with the burden of who...what my father was and I've been paying for his sins. Even in death, he still makes my life as difficult as possible."

The rage slowly left Weiss' face as she listened to him.

He continued. "I've spent the past few years trying to separate myself from that name, while trying to make up for all of the horrible things that he did."

Weiss sat down beside him and Mason turned to her.

"I'm not my father, Weiss. I'm a good person. He brought so many bad things into this world; I'm just trying to put something good back into it." His gaze shifted back to the floor. "I'm sorry."

Weiss huffed. "I suppose I can forgive you."

"Really?" Mason asked with a surprised tone in his voice. "I honestly didn't expect..."

"Just shut up and listen, Buster," Weiss poked her finger squarely in Mason's chest. "I like you, okay? I like you and I will continue to do so until you give me a reason NOT to like you, do you understand?"

Mason nodded his head.

Weiss continued her speech. "I'm...sorry I reacted so harshly. But, trust is earned, not given. So, before we take this any further, you need to show me that you've earned my trust."

"So," Mason said. "You don't trust me?"

"Of course I do," Weiss replied. "You just need to prove to me that you deserve it."

"Okay." Mason replied.

"Good." Weiss sat up straight and removed the finger that was prodding his chest.

Mason raised his hand, as if he were asking a question in class.

"Yes?"

"Yeah," Mason replied. "What would be the uh...best way to show you that I've earned your trust?"

"Hmm..."Weiss paused in thought. "Well, you could show me by doing things for me when I need you."

"Just what does that mean?" He asked.

Weiss sighed. "You just do what I tell you. It could be at anytime for anything. I won't ask you to do anything out of reason, just help me out when I need it."

Mason raised an eyebrow. "And this will prove that I deserve your trust?"

"If you don't screw it up, then yes."

"Okay," Mason nodded his head. "I guess I can do that."

Weiss kicked her feet up on the bed and leaned her back against his shoulder. "We should probably go and get dinner, but I'm just too drained."

Mason took this as a hint. "Do you want me to go and get you something?"

"No. Even though I HATE eating in the same room where I sleep at night, I'll just ask Ruby to bring us something when her and the others come back." After a moment, Weiss laughed. "Are you that eager to win me over?"

"I just thought I'd be nice." He shrugged his shoulders.

Weiss pulled out her scroll and quickly sent a message to Ruby, detailing her request. After a brief silence between them, she finally spoke. "So, Yang mentioned that you were in Atlas for a year. What were you doing there?"

"A number of things, really," Mason began. "I went there to learn more about my father, who he was, and why he did what he did. I followed a lead and I eventually came across an abandoned safe house that he'd used during the Faunus Revolution."

"What did you find there?" Weiss asked.

"Most of the place had been swept clean. Almost all of the documents had been shredded or burned. The whole place was coming apart. But, I did manage to scrounge up one of his old journals. It led me to several other safe houses that he'd used and I searched them all."

"Just what were you looking for?"

"Anything," Mason sighed. "Anything that would give me closure, but it took me over a year and I never found it. They'd covered their tracks far too well. That's when I decided it was time to come home."

Weiss could tell that the topic was bothering him, so she decided to change it. "So, what's up with your fear of spiders?"

Mason's mood immediately lightened. "Okay, I don't have a fear of spiders. They just make me uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable enough to make you run out of the shower wearing absolutely nothing?"

Mason smacked his forehead with his palm. "I really wish Yang didn't tell that story..."

* * *

Ruby's scroll let out a high-pitched beeping sound. She stuffed the remainder of the cookie that she had been eating into her mouth and pulled out the device. She pressed the diamond in the center and read the message.

"Is it Mason?" Yang asked. "Where is he?"

Ruby compressed the scroll and stuffed it back in her pocket. "Heef wiff fwice."

"What are you trying to say?" Blake asked.

"Forry," Ruby swallowed her food. "I said the he's with Weiss. She wants me to bring them two dinner trays when we come back."

"I knew it!" Yang said as she stood up from the table. "Those two wanted to get funky-fresh while we weren't there!"

Ruby thought for a moment before she relayed her response. "Ewww!"

"Yang, I don't think that's what they're doing." Blake protested.

Yang pondered Blake's objection. "Maybe, you're right..."

Blake let out a sigh of relief.

"Then again," Yang continued. "What if I'm right and they ARE getting jiggy?"

Blake rubbed her forehead with her hand. "Yang Xiao Long, you are quite possibly the nosiest person I've ever met."

"And I wear that as a badge of honor!" Yang pointed at her sister. "Ruby, go and get their dinner trays!"

Ruby stood up and with half of a cookie sticking out of her mouth, she gave Yang a salute. Ruby was about to walk away before she turned back around. She took the cookie out of her mouth and faced Yang. "Why are you ordering me around? I'm team leader! YOU go and get the trays!"

Yang scowled and stuck her tongue out at Ruby before walking over to the kitchen.

Blake sighed and pulled out her scroll.

* * *

"I'm just saying, it's amusing to me that you're put off by a little spider!"

Weiss was still propped up against Mason's shoulder. She was playfully teasing him about his phobia of spiders, which he continued to deny.

"It's not uncommon!" Mason tried his hardest to keep from grinning. "I'm starting to think that you enjoy teasing me."

"What would give you such an idea?" Weiss said with innocent sarcasm in her voice.

Mason laughed just as vibrations emitted from his pocket. He recognized them as his scroll. Weiss, however, was startled. With a loud yelp, she jumped into his lap.

"Jeez, Weiss. It's my scroll!" He said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his compacted scroll before he showed it to her.

Weiss sighed heavily. "I know. It just tickled me. I hate being tickled."

Mason pressed the button on his scroll and read the message. "Blake says that Yang thinks we're up to something and that they'll be back soon."

Weiss was still sitting on his lap. She crossed her arms and said, "What could she possibly think we're up to?"

A sinister grin grew across his face. "So..."

"What are you smiling about?"

"You say you hate to be tickled," His eyes narrowed and the grin grew even bigger. "You're ticklish, aren't you?"

She glared at him. "Don't you dare."

"Okay, okay. I won't tickle you," His eyes narrowed, "...Except for right here."

He snuck his hand around to the back of her head and tickled the back of her neck. It was brief, but just enough to cause Weiss to arch her neck and yelp with laughter.

She smacked him on the chest. "Don't do that!"

"I'm sorry," Mason said, trying to hide his laughter. "I won't do it again."

"You better not," Weiss said with a grin. "Otherwise, I'll stick a spider on your face while you sleep."

"If you do that," Mason moved his face within inched of Weiss' face. "You will have the tickle-fight of your life."

Weiss broke eye contact with him and with a smile, she shook her head. "You are such a jerk."

"Ah," Mason raised his finger in the air. "Yet, here you are sitting on my lap and laughing up a storm! I'm pretty sure Yang would have a field day with this."

"I'm sure that's not..."

"Shhhh!" Mason hushed her and focused his hearing. He heard Yang's distinct voice approaching from down the hall. "They'll be here in about a minute." He started to try and get up.

"What are you doing?" Weiss asked.

"Do you really want to give Yang ammunition to tease us with?"

Weiss looked at where she was sitting. "Yeah, you're right." She got up from Mason's lap, allowing him to climb on down to his floor space. Their teammates could be heard just outside.

When Ruby, Yang, and Blake walked through the door, they found Mason and Weiss sitting in their respective beds.

"You guys weren't making out, were you?" Yang walked over and handed both of them their trays.

"What are you talking about?!" Weiss glared at Yang. "Of course not!"

* * *

Mason was in a a different place. He recognized it, but only because of the choking air that surrounded him. Everything was exactly as it was before. Mason found himself suffocating once again.

"Not again!" Mason growled, trying to keep his stinging eyes open. "What do you want from me?!"

The thick black Shadow materialized around him, and Mason's lungs heaved in vain. His thoughts were scattered and he was unable to focus. He felt pressure from all sides, squeezing the life out of him. With every breath, Mason felt like his head was going to explode.

The Shadow then took its humanoid form in front of Mason and pulled the flaming blade from the darkness of its own torso. It stared him down with menacing red eyes.

Mason extended his claws and charged at the monster. With a swipe of its hand, it cast Mason to the side. He quickly got to his feet and tried to regain his bearings.

"Who in the hell are you?!" Mason demanded of his assailant.

The Shadow said nothing as it advanced toward him.

Mason refused to back down and readied his claws. He lunged at the beast, flying through the air with a guttural growl. Mason prepared to make contact with his claws, but he fell right through the black mist and onto his stomach. He flipped himself over just in time to see the red-eyed Shadow plunge the fiery blade into his heart.

* * *

Mason awoke in the dead of night. He glanced around the room. He was back in his team's dorm and his heart was pounding in his chest. The sound of it blocked out almost everything in the room.

Mason took several deep breaths, allowing the oxygen to flow throughout his brain. He tried to emulate what Yang had told him to do the other night and staggered over to the sink to get a drink of water. Afterwards, he returned to his floor space and placed his head between his knees.

A few minutes later, the nausea subsided and Mason let his head fall on the pillow beneath him. This was the second time he'd been attacked by the smoggy black Shadow and both times it had mercilessly eviscerated him. He'd managed to push the thoughts from his mind.

He let out a large sigh and said to himself,

"This is gonna be a hell of a week."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading, guys! Sorry this one took so long, but hopefully it paid off! As always, drop me a message or a comment and let me know how I'm doing, if you have any ideas, or even if you just wanna chat. I love meeting new people! Thanks again and see you next time!**


	9. Chapter Nine: The Chip On Her Shoulder

**A/N: Here's the latest chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Nine: The Chip On Her Shoulder

"Are you sure you want to do this?" The sound of screeching metal echoed through the room as Mason released his claws.

Weiss brushed a strand of hair away from her face and pointed Myrtenaster at Mason. "You don't stand a chance, Griffon."

It had been a few days since she had discovered the skeletons in Mason's closet. Now, they were alone after hours in the training room, standing on the dueling stage. Weiss had asked him to spar with her so she could hone her skills, and he'd happily obliged. Of course, he had to honor their agreement, so he really had no say in the matter.

"If you say so," Mason lowered himself closer to the ground. "Just a friendly match, right?"

"Of course." Weiss nodded.

Their 'friendly match' was more of a half-hearted skirmish, so neither opponent was trying to beat the other. Weiss slashed with her sword and Mason batted it away with his claws.

"So, who taught you how to sword fight?" Mason asked as he lightly fended off her strikes.

"My father," Weiss replied. "He said I would need to know how."

"Why's that?"

"He'd said I would need to learn to fight," Weiss' nostrils flared. "...said I needed to learn to defend myself!"

Weiss' attacks became more and more frequent, increasing in intensity with each strike. Mason began to struggle as he countered her advances. Her rapier struck his claws with deadly force, sending sparks flying through the air. "Weiss..."

"He said I had to learn to fight the White Fang!" Weiss snarled through gritted teeth before leaping into the air as a glyph formed behind her. She landed on the glyph and rebounded, flying straight toward Mason. She readied Myrtenaster and the revolving cylinder spun on its axel.

"Weiss," Mason yelled. "Stop!"

Weiss came to her senses and realized what she was about to do. She stumbled in midair and in the process, swung her sword, discharging the dust in her blade in Mason's direction. She fell to the ground and slid across the floor.

"Mason, I'm so sorry!" Weiss got to her feet and turned around. There, she found him. He was completely covered in a sheet of ice. The look of surprise that was frozen on his face was almost comical. She ran over to him and said, "Mason, can you hear me?!"

He grunted in a fashion that she could only decipher as, "Yeah."

Weiss sighed. "Good, I'll see if I can find a way to get you out of there."

She pulled out her scroll and sent a message to Ruby.

* * *

"Wow," Ruby examined the hunk of ice that entrapped Mason. "How did this happen?"

"Never mind how it happened," Weiss said. "Can you get him out of it?"

"Hmmm..." Ruby tapped on the ice with her finger. "I don't see how I can."

"Can't you just use Crescent Rose and chisel it away or something?"

"I could, but I don't wanna accidentally lob his arm off." Ruby turned her attention to Mason. "You can re grow your arm, right?"

Mason let out a muffled moan.

"That's means no," She looked at Weiss. "Sorry, Weiss. I'm not gonna be much help. Why don't you just thaw him out with your Fire Dust?"

"Don't you remember our little incident in then Emerald Forest?" Weiss pointed her finger at Ruby. "Fire created by Dust is extremely hard to put out, it might only worsen the situation."

"Well if we can't cut him out, and we can't thaw him out, that only leaves us with one option..." Ruby smiled at Weiss. "We have to BUST him out!"

"And how are we going to do that?" Weiss asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Don't worry," Ruby pulled out her scroll. "I know just who to call!"

* * *

Nora Valkyrie had her usual overly-happy smile on her face, but when Ruby contacted her, it grew to the point where it actually made Ren feel uncomfortable.

"Nora," He asked, suspiciously. "Who was that?"

With a slight giggle in her voice, she replied, "Ruby!"

"And what does Ruby want?"

"To smash something!" Nora responded as she threw her arms in the air.

Ren stood and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure that's not what she said."

"Quick," Nora shouted as she grabbed Ren by the collar. "To the training room!"

"Why are we going to the training...whoa!"

Nora dragged Ren out of team JNPR's dorm and nearly ran over Pyrrha and Jaune, who were walking down the hall.

"Where do you think you two are going?!" Pyrrha shouted after them.

Nora shouted without glancing back, "Ruby needs help!"

Jaune looked at Pyrrha. "Ruby's in trouble?"

Without a second thought, Jaune and Pyrrha turned tail to join their comrades.

* * *

"Well, this certainly isn't what I expected to see." Pyrrha whispered to Jaune when they first saw the situation before them.

"I don't think that it's Ruby who needs our help." Her blonde haired companion replied.

Nora dragged Ren up to Ruby and Weiss before letting him loose and saluting the two girls. "Nora Valkyrie reporting for duty!"

"Thanks for getting here so quickly, guys." Ruby said.

Jaune nodded. "It's no problem. What happened to Mason?" He pointed at the frozen mass. "He's all...icy."

Ruby turned to Weiss. "Yeah, Weiss, what DID happen between you two?"

"It was an accident!" Weiss exclaimed. "I didn't mean to freeze him!"

Pyrrha refuted Weiss' claim. "How do you _accidentally _freeze somebody?"

"It's...a long story," Weiss turned to Nora. "Can you get him out of there?"

"Absolutely!" Nora pulled out her hammer, Magnhild, and held it at her side.

Ruby stood next to Nora and gave her some advice. "Remember, Nora, use small and consistent taps."

"Right," Weiss chimed in. "You don't want to hurt him!"

"Understood!" Nora said with a gleam in her eye. She slowly readied her hammer and lightly tapped the ice, testing its density. Then, Nora brought Magnhild back to her shoulder before shouting, "SMASH!"

Mason let out a muffled scream.

Nora swung her hammer as hard as she could. When it made contact, the ice exploded and Mason flew backwards. His muffled screams became clear and faded as he slid across the wet floor.

Weiss ran over and knelt by his side. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"

Mason had a blank stare in his eyes as he wiped the melting ice shards from his face. "I'm cold."

"Well that's to be expected," Pyrrha smiled as she walked over to Mason and Weiss. "You were an ice sculpture only a few moments ago."

Nora was still reeling from the carnage of water and ice that she had created. She turned to Ren and said, "Do I get to smash anything else?!"

Ren put his hands on her shoulders and lowered her arms. "I think you've smashed enough for today, Nora."

"Awwwww..." Nora moaned as she slumped her shoulders.

Mason slowly got to his feet and glanced at his sopping wet outfit before staring at Weiss with a raised eyebrow. "Can I talk to you in private?"

"Yeah...sure." Weiss followed him out of the training room.

Jaune turned to Ruby. "Are those two...uh..." He pressed his two index fingers against each other. "...together?"

"Hmmm..." Ruby hummed as she cocked her head to the side. "I don't know."

* * *

Weiss followed Mason back to their dorm. He didn't say a word the entire time. When they arrived, he knocked on the door and no one answered, indicating the room was empty. He opened the door and they both walked into the room. Weiss went and sat down on her bed before Mason locked the door and made his way over to her with a serious look on his face. She had expected him to scold her and tell her off. Instead, what he did took her completely off guard.

Mason knelt down beside her and put his hand on her forearm. He gently asked, "Are you okay?"

Weiss laughed sarcastically. "I turned you into an ice cube, and _you're_ asking me if _I'm_ okay?"

"Yeah," Mason replied. "What was that about back there?"

Weiss crossed her arms. "It was nothing."

"Weiss," Mason furrowed his brow. "You looked at me like you wanted to kill me, that's not 'nothing'."

She sighed and dropped her face into her hands. "I'm sorry."

Mason touched her shoulder. "What happened?"

Weiss lifted her head up from her hands. "I don't know how to explain it. I pictured you as a member of the White Fang and I saw red."

"Weiss," Mason sighed. "I'm not a member of the White Fang. I've told..."

"No," She interjected. "I know you're not. I just...I couldn't help it. I'm sorry."

After a few moments of silence, Mason replied, "It's okay."

"Just like that?" Weiss was borderline hysterical. "I almost kill you, and you forgive me just like that?"

His mouth stretched into a sinister grin. "Well, maybe not _that _easily."

"What do you mea..." Weiss was cut off as Mason threw his arms around her for a hug and tackled her to the bed. "Ahhh! What are you doing?! You're all wet!" She screeched.

"Weiss, my dear," Mason whispered in her ear. "Have you ever heard the ancient proverb, 'Revenge is a dish best served cold'?"

Weiss gasped. "You wouldn't _dare_!"

"Oh," Mason smiled. "But I would!"

"I'm warning you, Mason, don't do it!"

Mason ignored her warning and began to tickle the back of her neck.

"Ah!" She laughed hysterically. "StopStopStop!"

"Never!" Mason said with a maniacal laugh.

Somehow, Weiss had managed to overcome the tickle-torture and rolled the both of them off of the bed and onto the floor. She crashed down on top of him, knocking the air from his lungs.

Mason coughed as he tried to catch his breath.

"You..." Weiss pressed her forearm against his chest, pinning him to the ground. "You're...you're...!"

"Clever? Funny? Devilishly handsome?" Mason weakly laughed. "I'll accept anything along those lines."

Weiss laughed. "Shut up!"

Mason was still in a daze as Weiss helped him to his feet.

"Thank you!" She said cheerfully.

"What for?"

"For offering to change my sheets." Weiss replied.

"But I didn't..." Mason looked at she sheets on her bed. They were wet from his ice laced clothes. He glanced back at Weiss and she put her hands on her hips.

"Well?" She began tapping her foot.

He sighed. "Can't you cut me a break just this once?"

"We had an agreement, Mason." Weiss stated.

"Okay, Weiss." Mason groaned.

"Ahem..." Weiss coughed into her hand.

Mason rolled his eyes. "Okay, _Miss Schnee_."

"That's better." She said with a benevolent smile.

Mason walked up to Weiss and without saying a word, he hugged her once again, pressing her against his soaked clothes.

"You are such a jerk!" She looked down at her wet combat attire. "Do that one more time and I'll freeze you again!"

"No you won't." He smugly said. He leaned in toward Weiss' forehead, stealing a kiss before walking past her. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that she was still standing there with her back to him.

Had Weiss turned around, Mason would have seen that she was blushing like crazy. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her in such a state, so instead she walked over to her drawer, grabbed her sleeping gown, and headed toward the bathroom.

"I expect to have my bed ready when I come back!" She shouted before closing the door.

Mason shook his head with a smile as he started to replace her sheets.

* * *

Ruby meandered her way through the bookshelves and aisles of tables that populated the library. She resisted the urge to yell out her sister's name. Thankfully, she didn't have to do anything of the sort. She found Yang sitting at a table across from Blake in between two massive bookshelves.

"Yang!" Ruby whispered as loudly as she could.

"Shh." Yang held her finger up, silencing her younger sister.

Yang was staring intently across the table at Blake, who was reading a textbook.

"What are you doing, Yang?" Ruby asked with a raised eyebrow.

Blake sighed. Without looking up from the book, she replied, "She's trying to figure out how long I can go without blinking."

"You've blinked three times in the past five minutes!" Yang violently whispered. "Only three times! How is that possible?!"

"I don't need to blink as regularly as you do," Blake stated. "I'm a Faunus."

Yang leaned in closer. "Does it have something to do with being a cat Faunus?"

"Possibly." Blake turned the page in her book and continued reading.

Yang turned around to her sister. "What's up, Ruby?"

Ruby pulled a chair up to the desk and sat down. "Do you think Mason and Weiss are together?"

"I don't know," Yang replied. "When did you last see them?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, that's not what I meant," Ruby interlocked her fingers for emphasis. "Do you think they're 'together'?"

"Oh!" Yang thought for a moment and shrugged her shoulders in response. "I've tried to catch them doing something that would show that they are, but they're just too good. I'm starting to think that they're just friends."

Blake sighed. "That's because you've been looking for the wrong signs."

"What do you mean?" Yang asked.

"The next time you see Mason and Weiss," Blake looked up from her book. "Watch their interactions. Watch how they act while they're around each other and listen to how they speak to each other. You might find the answers you're both looking for."

"Wow, Blake," Ruby started. "You really know a lot about this kind of stuff."

"That's what I'm here for." Blake replied as she closed her textbook.

* * *

Weiss came out of the bathroom dressed in her light blue gown with a hairbrush in hand. She looked at the bed and it was adorned with fresh sheets, just as she'd requested. Weiss smiled with satisfaction as she glanced at Mason, who had changed into his pajamas and was sitting on his floor space.

"Thanks, Mason!" She said, admiring her newly dressed bed.

Mason replied in silence with a two finger salute.

After a moment, Weiss sighed and sat down next to him.

"Listen, I'm sorry about today," She said, making eye contact with Mason. "I just need to put the..._history_ between our parents behind me and focus on who _you _are, not who your father was."

"You know," Mason grinned. "I would love for nothing more than that."

Weiss smiled as she grabbed his hand and squeezed.

Mason squeezed back. "What do you say we all go into town tomorrow? I think everybody could use some time away from campus."

"I think that sounds wonderful!" Weiss replied.

"Good!" Mason stood up. "I should go and finish getting ready for bed."

He took a few steps toward the bathroom before he felt his arm being grabbed.

"Not so fast..." Weiss' voice came from behind him.

Mason turned around and saw her standing up.

"It's my turn." She said before locking him in a hug.

With a slight laugh, Mason hugged her back. "So I take it you've finally warmed up to me?"

"Maybe," Her voice was muffled by his shoulder. "I don't _not _like you."

At that moment, the door opened and Ruby, Blake, and Yang walked into the room.

"Hey guys, what do you want to..." Yang stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Mason and Weiss in the middle of the room.

"Uh, hey guys!" Mason said as he and Weiss broke their embrace. "This isn't what you're probably thinking..."

Ruby simply stared with an open mouth. "Are you two," She interlocked her fingers. "...'together'?"

"Of course not!" Weiss placed her hands on her hips. "Friends can hug each other, can't they?"

"_Sure_ they can!" Yang's eyes narrowed and her mouth formed a large and goofy smile.

Mason quickly changed the subject. "Hey, what do you guys think about going in town tomorrow and going shopping or something like that?"

Yang's expression changed into a normal smile. "Yeah, sounds fun!"

* * *

Jaune walked down the hall with Pyrrha. After the minor diversion of Mason being turned into an oversized ice cube, the two of them had finished the 'tutoring lesson', which mostly comprised of Jaune sparring with her...and losing.

"Pyrrha?" Jaune meekly asked his red-haired friend.

"Yes, Jaune?" She responded.

"Do you think I'm getting better?"

"You have improved leaps and bounds over what you were before we started," Pyrrha responded. "You'll be ready for the Vytal Tournament in no time!"

"I'm not quite sure that I belong in the tournament," Jaune hung his head. "It's only for the best of the best; I'm not even in the same solar system as them."

"Jaune," Pyrrha stopped him in his tracks and put her hand on his shoulder. "If you keep practicing and giving it everything you've got," She lifted his chin up with her finger. "You will be the best Hunter in all of Remnant."

Pyrrha's gleaming smile was infectious, causing Jaune to grin as well.

"Thanks, Pyrrha."

"Anytime, Jaune!" Pyrrha replied as the two of them made their way to the JNPR dorm room.

* * *

The next day, Ruby and the others headed on down to the Market District of Vale. It was full of shops and vendors that littered the district. The five friends each split up and went off to visit whatever shops they wanted.

Mason left and went to a small department store in search of a sleeping bag. He thought that if he slept in something more comfortable, maybe his nightmares would stop. It was a long shot, but it couldn't hurt to try.

Mason looked around, but couldn't find what he was looking for. He left the store empty handed and walked down the street. He looked around and a store in particular caught his interest.

It was a small jewelry shop that was almost hidden from view between two larger vendors. Mason walked inside and wandered around, peering through the glass cases. Eventually, he found something that caught his interest.

It was a small heart shaped locket with a pearlescent white sheen. Mason didn't have to think twice about buying it.

"Excuse me," Mason raised his finger to the curly haired woman at the register. "How much is this locket?'

The woman made her way over to him and looked at the locket in the glass case. "That'll be an even 70 lien."

"Do you do engravings?" Mason asked her as she pulled out the locket.

The lady nodded. "Of course!"

Mason pulled a torn piece of paper from his pocket and grabbed a pen from the counter. He scrawled some words on the paper and handed it to her.

A smile crossed the woman's face. "Give me five minutes."

* * *

Mason left the shop with the newly purchased and engraved locket in hand. He looked across the street at a Dust Shop. A though occurred to him and he ran across the street and entered the Dust Shop.

Mason exited the shop after he was satisfied with his purchases and he stepped out onto the sidewalk. He heard the familiar sound of his scroll furiously beeping in his pocket. He pocketed the locket and activated his scroll. He could see that Ruby was calling him, using the scroll's phone function.

"Hey, Ruby," Mason said cheerfully. "What's up?"

Ruby's voice was frantic, but calm and collected at the same time. "Mason, where are you?"

"Um," He looked around the vicinity for a street sign. "I'm just outside the Dust Shop on 54th street."

Ruby quickly replied. "Mason, something happened!"

"What?" Mason's voice turned serious. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine," Ruby's voice began to shake. "But Weiss…"

"Ruby, what happened to Weiss?"

"We tried to fight back…" She said, clearly distraught.

What Ruby said next sent chills down Mason's spine.

"The White Fang has her…"

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Sorry I ended on yet again, another cliff hanger. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! As always, feel free drop a comment or send me a message to let me know how I'm doing! See you next time!**


	10. Chapter Ten: Out Of The Frying Pan

**A/N: This is the longest chapter I've written yet! Here is Chapter Ten. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Ten: Out Of The Frying Pan...

_Ten Minutes Earlier_

Ruby walked out of the bakery with a clear plastic bag full of different kinds of cookies inside. She stuck her hand in the bag and began skipping down the sidewalk. Ruby pulled out the particular treat that she was looking for, a peanut butter-chocolate chip cookie, and took a bite. She closed her eyes as she let the sweet peanut butter and chocolate encompass her taste buds. Ruby was so enthralled in her snack that she didn't notice Weiss come from around the corner.

"Ouch!" Weiss shrieked as Ruby bumped into her, nearly dropping the small white pouch that she was carrying.

"Sorry, Weiss," Ruby swallowed the rest of her cookie. "What's that?"

"This?" Weiss held up the pouch. It looked like it there was something small and heavy inside. "It's...just something I bought."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Did you buy it for somebody else?"

"Maybe..." Weiss walked down the sidewalk and Ruby closely followed.

"Can I see it?" Ruby asked reaching toward Weiss.

Weiss brought the pouch to her chest. "Brush your hands off, first!"

Ruby looked at her hands and saw they were covered in cookie dust. She shook her hands out and rubbed them together before holding them out for Weiss to inspect.

Weiss examined Ruby's hands and determined they were clean enough. "Okay, Ruby," She undid the clasps on the pouch. "Just don't break it."

Ruby suddenly realized that the pouch itself was only a case, and out of that case, Weiss removed a lustrous silver pocket watch that sparkled in the midday sun. She held it out by the chain and Ruby gently took hold of it. She examined the exquisite detail in the metal work. The face of the watch was covered with intricate patterns and designs that circled the outer rim. She pressed the button and the face flipped downwards, revealing the watch itself.

It looked like an ordinary time keeper, except for the fact that the hands in the center were made of gold. Ruby whispered, "Wow...", and was about to turn it over to view the back, but Weiss snatched it from her hands.

"Sorry," Weiss slipped the pocket watch back into its case. "But there's something on the back that I only want him to see."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "_Him_? Who exactly did you get that for?"

Weiss huffed. "I got it for Mason, okay?"

"But I thought you said you two weren't..." Ruby interlocked her fingers. "...together."

"We're not _together_," Weiss stared at the white watch case. "Well not yet, anyway..."

A massive smile grew on Ruby's face. "Awwww! That's so cute!"

Weiss tucked the case away in a pocket on the inside of her light blue jacket. "Don't act like such a child, Ruby!"

"I can't help it!" Ruby giggled. "I knew..." Ruby stopped in her tracks and her voice suddenly grew serious. "Weiss..."

Weiss stopped beside Ruby. "Yes?"

"Have you noticed that the street is completely empty?" Ruby asked.

Weiss looked around and realized that Ruby was right. It was a relatively small street. So small, in fact, that it could have easily been confused with an alleyway. But regardless of how small it was, there were always a decent amount of people that traversed it. However, today there were no vehicles, no pedestrians, and almost no sign of activity.

"You're right. Where did everybody go? This place is usually bustling with people."

Ruby placed her hand on the compact form of Crescent Rose. "I'm getting a bad feeling, Weiss. Keep your eyes open."

Weiss nodded. While Ruby could be somewhat goofy at times, she could also be serious when the occasion called for it. And, while Weiss didn't always understand Ruby's reasoning behind some things, she trusted her as a leader as well as a friend.

Weiss' hand slid to her side and she grabbed the handle of Myrtenaster. "What do we do?"

"Follow me." Ruby briskly started down the sidewalk.

Weiss picked up the pace and followed close behind. "I don't like this, Ruby."

"Don't worry," Ruby said. "Just keep move..."

Ruby was interrupted as two shadowy masses dropped to the street a few yards in front of them. Weiss immediately recognized the blood-red insignia imprinted on their silver tunics; a snarling wolf's head with three claw marks slashing through it.

"Oh no..." Weiss said as she came to a screeching halt.

Ruby grabbed hold of Weiss' hand. "We should probably avoid these guys!" She ducked into the alley beside them, dragging Weiss behind her.

The alley turned a sharp corner and into a square courtyard. Ruby and Weiss looked for an outlet, but it was a dead end. They turned around and tried to backtrack, but more goons dropped down from above, blocking their exit. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by members of the White Fang.

"Nice job of avoiding these guys, Ruby!" Weiss said sarcastically as she drew Myrtenaster from her belt.

Ruby unfurled Crescent Rose and stood back-to-back with Weiss. "I didn't know we'd be running into _this_! What do you think they want?"

"I don't know," Weiss activated the revolving cylinder inside her sword. "And I don't wanna find out."

Ruby turned to their attackers and addressed them directly. "Listen, we don't want to fight you!"

"Hah!" A male voice echoed from above them. "That's a wise choice! If you do as we ask, you won't have to!"

Ruby strained to see who was speaking, but he was too well hidden on the roofs above them. "What exactly is it that you want?"

"It's very simple, really," The voice spoke. "Come with us, Miss Schnee, and we promise not to harm you."

"Let me make this clear," Weiss clenched her teeth. "I don't know what you want with me, but I'm NOT coming with you creeps!"

"Tch, tch, tch," The smug voice replied. "I would have really loved to do this the easy way, but it seems as if that's not going to happen!"

The masked White Fang members readied their weapons and Weiss and Ruby did the same.

Ruby loaded an ammo mag into Crescent Rose with a satisfying click. "Don't let them corner you."

"The same goes for you." Weiss replied as she raised her rapier and a yellow glyph manifested under her feet. She shot like a bullet toward the wall of their attackers and engaged them.

Ruby swung Crescent Rose, knocking over several thugs in the process. A sword slashed wildly from her left.

"Woah!" Ruby stepped on the sword, pinning it to the ground before leaping into the air and ramming her knee into the face of the sword's owner. Ruby glanced over at Weiss as one of the goons raised his rifle. "Weiss, watch your left!"

Weiss turned around. She raised her hand just as a storm of bullets was unleashed in her direction. A black glyph appeared in front of her. As the bullets made contact with the glyph, they froze in midair and fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Thanks, Ruby!" Weiss shouted back.

"Glad to help!" Ruby was a blur as she rocketed back and forth between their assailants, knocking them down as if she were a life-size pinball.

Weiss spun Myrtenaster's revolving chamber and the blade of the weapon began to glow a light shade of blue. She flicked her sword in the direction of a group of four White Fang soldiers and a cascade of ice overwhelmed them, freezing each one in a massive column of ice.

Ruby and Weiss had the White Fang on the ropes. They began to try and fight their way out of the courtyard when the snarky voice spoke again, only this time it was much more forceful.

"You're useless! There's two of them and twenty of you!" The owner of the voice finally dropped down from the roof, revealing a blonde young man about 17 years old. "Do I have to do everything myself?" The blonde teenager pulled out a strange looking pistol and aimed it at Weiss.

"Weiss," Ruby shouted. "Watch out!"

Weiss turned around as he pulled the trigger. Two feathered darts shot from the barrel and firmly stuck in Weiss' shoulder. She staggered forward, trying to stay upright, but she lost her balance and fell to the ground in a heap.

"Weiss!" Ruby tried to fight her way to Weiss, but he moved like lightning as he spun toward Ruby and fired twice. She dodged the first dart, but not the second as it pierced her bicep.

Ruby's vision immediately began to blur and her head started to spin. She backed against the wall and slid to the ground. Ruby's limbs were becoming numb and her senses dulled.

The blonde kid walked over to the goon with the rifle and smacked him upside the head. "We're supposed to bring her back ALIVE, you incompetent idiot! You pull something like that again, and I'll string you up in the city square!" He looked over his shoulder and pointed at Weiss. "Somebody, tie her up and carry her back to the ship!"

Ruby watched helplessly as one of the masked thugs walked over to the sedated Weiss and tied her hands and feet together before throwing her over his shoulder. One of the White Fang members started to walk toward Ruby, but the blonde guy in charge stopped him.

"Leave her. Our orders are to bring back the Schnee girl, no one else."

Soon after, the White Fang assailants quickly filed out of the courtyard, leaving a half conscious Ruby alone with four White Fang popsicles. She strained to pull herself up, but she knew that there was no way she could chase them down in her condition. The numbness in her hands began to pass, and she pulled out her scroll and made a call to the only person that could help Weiss.

* * *

"Ruby, are you in a safe place?" Mason started walking down the street.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But listen, Mason," Ruby's drowsy voice spoke over the scroll. "You have to find her. They said something about taking her to their ship. You can't let them get away!"

"Don't worry," Mason said, trying to stay calm. "They won't get away. Call Yang And Blake and tell them where you are. Don't you move until they get there."

"I won't, Mason," Ruby said. "Just make sure you find her!"

"I'll track her down, kiddo, just stay safe."

"I will," Ruby replied. "Be careful, Mason."

"I will." Mason said before he closed his scroll. He zipped his hoodie up just below his chest, covering the armor chest plate on his combat shirt. Mason then sniffed the air to try and catch Weiss' scent.

He was only half-Faunus, so Mason knew that he didn't have as heightened of a sense of smell as a full-blooded Faunus. However, Weiss had a very distinct scent, a kind of mint lavender, and with a little luck, it would lead him straight to her.

Sure enough, he caught her scent. Mason flipped his hood over his face and sprinted down the street. He rounded the corner and ran like the devil down the sidewalk, nearly knocking over several pedestrians in the process. Mason turned another corner and the scent only got stronger. He was hot on her trail.

The streets of Vale were like a maze and Mason was closing in on the exit. The smell of mint and lavender burned through his nostrils and he sucked the oxygen in through his nose before forcing it back out through his mouth. The scent was so powerful, it was almost as if she were standing right next him, leaning her head against his chest.

Mason was close and he knew it. He began to hear the sound of engines whirring close by. He slowed down and huffed violently, trying to regain his breath. On the other side of the buildings was the shipyard, the only logical place for any kind of ship to land. The shipping crates would create the perfect kind of cover. Mason decided to take a shortcut and flung open the door to the nearest building and flew through the lobby of some kind of office.

The lady at the front desk didn't even have time to try and stop him before he ran out the back door on the other side of the lobby. A chainlink fence was all that separated him from the shipyard. Mason ejected his claws and slashed his way through the fence. He ducked through the makeshift hole and made his way through the shipyard.

Mason could feel the increase in wind speed as he closed in on the White Fang landing zone. He scrambled up the blue shipping container in front of him and slid through the crack between the two stacked on top of it. On the other side there was a small drop off, and in the center of that drop off sat a Bullhead airship. It was small enough to carry a decent number of troops and still be concealed by the right environment. Mason pulled out his scroll and made a call to Blake.

She answered after the first ring. "Mason, did you find her?"

"Yeah," He replied. "Are you with Ruby?"

"Almost," Blake clearly sounded winded. "I'll be there soon."

"They've got a Bullhead with the White Fang logo on the side, think I have the right ship?"

"I'd say so," Blake replied. "It's foolish of them to advertise themselves like that."

"Blake, what do they want with her?" Mason asked as he scanned the surrounding area, looking for any sign of Weiss.

"I can't say for sure. Their goals seem to have shifted recently."

"Yeah, I heard about that," He said harshly. "But I don't get the feeling that they're taking her out to a relaxing spa treatment."

"No, they're not," Blake spoke earnestly. "You NEED to get her back. Whatever they're planning isn't good."

Before he could respond, He saw Weiss being carried into the landing zone. She was tied up and surrounded by White Fang soldiers.

"Blake, they're really booking it." He counted the number of enemies on the ground. "There's no way I can risk getting to Weiss without putting her in danger. I can heal, but she can't." Mason took a deep breath. "I'm going after them. I'll figure out what to do when I get there."

"Do what you have to, Mason. But please, just be careful."

"Roger that, Blake," Mason stood up and began making his way down the containers. "Make sure Ruby's okay."

"Don't worry, I will." Blake said before Mason closed his scroll. About halfway down, a thought crept into his mind and he formulated a plan.

He made it to the ground just as they loaded her into the airship. Mason had a direct path to the ship. He only had one shot, and he had to make it count.

The Bullhead's engines rose to full power, and the ship began to rise into the air. Mason waited for the right time to make his move. When the airship was high enough, Mason charged a jump with his aura and leapt into the air, deploying his claws.

His jump was timed perfectly and Mason drove his claws into the underbelly of the aircraft. He hoped that no one inside had seen him as he hoisted his legs up so his body was flush with the Bullhead. He didn't know what he was going to do when he got there, but it was only one thought that crept into his mind.

_I'm not letting anything happen to her. _

* * *

"What does he think he's doing?!" Yang screeched with Ruby's arm draped around her shoulder, bracing her up. "I can't believe he's going in there without backup!"

"Yang, he'll be fine. Mason can take care of himself," Blake said in an attempt to calm her friend. "Right now, we need to get back to Beacon."

She growled. "But he should know better than that!"

Yang's frustration was stifled when her sister placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," Ruby said softly. "If there's one person who can get Weiss back safely, it's Mason."

Yang took a deep breath and exhaled. "You're right."

Ruby looked at the frozen White Fang members. "What do we do with those guys?"

"Don't worry," Blake said. "I've already notified the authorities."

They moved out into the street and Ruby removed her arm from Yang's shoulder. "I think I can walk on my own."

"Okay, Ruby," Yang said, "If you're sure."

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

All of a sudden, they heard a roaring sound above them. Ruby, Blake, and Yang looked into the sky and saw an airship flying just above their heads. Yang could make out a figure latched onto the belly of the ship. She immediately recognized it as Mason.

"That crazy son of a gun..." Yang muttered.

Yang looked at Blake, who motioned back towards Beacon. "C'mon, we need to talk to Professor Ozpin."

* * *

When Weiss came to, she couldn't move her arms or legs and she felt dizzy. When her vision returned, although blurry, she could see enough to realize that she was in a ship.

The same voice from the alley spoke. "Ah, you're awake! Very good!"

Weiss' blurry vision focused and she saw the blonde haired teenager in front of her. She remained silent as he began to speak.

"This could've been much easier, you know," He knelt down and looked her in the face. "You could've come quietly and avoided all that fighting."

Weiss looked away from him and he grabbed her forcefully by the mouth and jerked her head back. "You look at me when I'm talking to you!"

She glared at him while still remaining silent.

He pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. "Look, I'm sorry," He said softly. "I didn't mean to snap like that."

Weiss finally spoke. "You know, the 'Good Cop/Bad Cop' routine doesn't necessarily work if you're playing both sides."

"Is that so?" He acted surprised by her statement. "I don't think I got the memo!"

She looked over his shoulder and saw Myrtenaster propped up against the wall.

"Ah, ah, ah," He wagged his finger in her face. "I wouldn't think of doing anything stupid if I were you. You see, there are a lot of angry Faunus here that would like nothing more than to snap your pretty little neck." An orange tail with a little tuft of fur on the tip crept its way around him and softly grazed her throat.

Weiss resumed her defying silence.

"Oh what, you don't wanna talk?" He stood up and his lion tail flailed behind him. "That's fine! I have ways of making people talk," He looked out the window. "We're almost there."

As the blonde-haired lion Faunus walked away, Weiss closed her eyes. She knew it was going to take a miracle if she was going to make it out of this alive.

* * *

Every muscle in Mason's body was screaming for him to let go. It took every ounce of his strength to keep from giving up and plummeting to the ground below. His entire upper body was on fire from the strain that was being put on him. He could feel the muscle tissue begin to tear in his abdomen. Despite the incredible amount of pain, he pushed himself and only tightened his grip on the airship.

The gale force wind whipping against his face didn't help either. But, when it began to die down, Mason felt a tremendous amount of relief that briefly overshadowed the pain. He looked over his shoulder and saw the roof of a building approaching quickly. Before he knew it, the Bullhead had landed.

The occupants of the aircraft began to file out and Mason started to count them.

_One...Two...Three...Four... _

He continued counting as he struggled to hold on to the chassis of the Bullhead.

_Eleven...Twelve...Thirteen...Fourteen...Fifteen...Weiss... _

Mason watched as Weiss was carried into the building from the door on top of the roof, followed by the rest of their troops shortly after. Once he was sure he was alone, he retracted his claws and dropped to the concrete with a thud.

Mason withheld his howl of agony for fear of alerting someone. For a few minutes, he lay there, giving himself time to recuperate. His abdomen healed and the sharp and intense pain all over his body was reduced to a dull ache.

Once he felt like he could stand without doubling back over, Mason crawled out from under the Bullhead and observed his surroundings. He was in the middle of nowhere on top of some kind of dilapidated building attached to an old aircraft hangar. It was small, not likely their base of operations. It was probably stumbled upon and re purposed for the White Fang's needs. It looked as if it could only hold about thirty or forty people.

Mason looked over the edge. It was a considerable drop, but nothing he couldn't survive. He then turned back and looked at the door that Weiss had been taken through. The way Mason saw it, he had two options.

Option one was to go through the front door below. It was likely the more straightforward and faster option, but it also involved the possibility of encountering more foes than he'd have liked. Depending on how heavily fortified the place truly was, it would also most likely risk Weiss' well being.

Option two was to go through the door on the roof. There was most likely a guard post on the other side of the door to keep the Bullhead safe. Other than that, Mason had no idea what could have been on the other side of that door.

Both had their pros and cons, but he finally decided on the latter option. He would go through the door on the roof. He looked back at the craft that he'd arrived on and determined that the Bullhead would be their best chance of escape.

With a plan in mind, Mason slowly walked over to the door and pressed his ear up against the metal. He focused his hearing and detected two heartbeats directly on the other side.

With a deep breath, Mason knocked on the heavy door.

* * *

The two guards on the inside were stunned at the sound of someone knocking on the door behind them. How could anyone even get up there in the first place?

"Um...who's there?"

"Telegram!" A voice replied from the other side.

"A telegram?" Asked the other guard. "Who the hell still uses telegrams?"

The first guard opened the door and was greeted with a right cross from Mason's steel glove, knocking him out. The other guard tried to run, but Mason picked him up by the collar of his tunic and thrust him against the wall before clamping his gloved hand over the guard's mouth.

"I want information, and you're gonna give it to me," Mason said calmly as he held up the claws on his other hand. "If you scream, I'll ram these through your eye sockets, understand?"

The guard furiously shook his head.

"Good," Mason said before releasing him. "Where did they take her?"

"They...they took her to th...the hangar next door!" The guard said.

Mason smiled. "Thank you. You've been incredibly helpful."

The guard cowered and put his hands up in defense. "Please don't kill me!"

Mason rolled his eyes. "I'm not gonna _kill _you."

The guard let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you."

"But seriously, if I were you," Mason's gloved fist slowly reared back. "I'd find a different line of work."

The guard didn't have time to react as Mason knocked him unconscious.

He remembered seeing a ventilation duct that ran from the building to the hangar. He looked up and saw a similar duct that looked like it might lead to the one he'd seen outside. Mason jumped up and grabbed a hold of the vent and ripped off the cover before hoisting himself into the building's ventilation system.

* * *

After being carried through the musty old building, Weiss found herself being thrust into a cold metal chair. Her hands and feet were tied tightly to the chair. One of the White Fang thugs carried Myrtenaster over and placed it on a table towards the exit.

The hangar was practically pitch black, except for a single bright ceiling lamp that was positioned down on the chair that Weiss was sitting in. She couldn't see through the darkness, but she could feel the burning eyes of those hidden in the shadows.

"Welcome, Miss Schnee," The lion Faunus said enthusiastically as he walked into the hangar. "Are you comfortable?"

Weiss defiantly remained silent.

"Your silence will only make things worse for you." He walked over to her and rubbed his hand against her cheek. "We don't want that, now do we?"

Weiss pulled her face away from his hand.

"Fine, be that way," He stood up and walked behind her. "My name's Nico, by the way. I must say it is a true pleasure to meet the heiress to the SDC."

She glared at Nico as he circled her like a predator, ready to pounce on his prey.

"I'm going to ask you a question, you're going to tell me an answer. One question, one answer. If I don't get the answer I like, then we've got a problem. And if we've got a problem," Nico stared nose-to-nose with Weiss. "That means _you've_ got a problem. Is that clear?"

"Yes." Weiss hissed.

"Good!" He stood up and folded his arms across his chest. "I'm glad we understand each other!"

She just closed her eyes as he put his hands on her shoulders.

"How do I gain access to the Schnee Dust Factory?"

"You don't," Weiss said smugly. "Because I'm not telling you."

Nico stepped away from her and inhaled deeply. He stood there for a moment before he whirled around and slapped Weiss.

She let out a sharp yelp and tears began streaming down her face.

* * *

Mason's blood began to boil. He'd seen that punk slap Weiss and felt the malice and rage build up throughout his body. Enough was enough. He had to get her out of there somehow.

He slowly crawled out of the duct and dropped to the ground. His half-Faunus night vision was sufficient enough to see the numerous troops that stood on the hangar floor. If he was quick enough, he'd be able to take them out without anyone noticing. But first, he needed to get their attention.

Mason stealthily crept up behind one of the White Fang goons and with his glove of steel, he smashed his fist against the side of the goon's knee, breaking his leg.

* * *

Nico grabbed Weiss by the throat. "Either you tell me how, or I'll squeeze the life from your pretty eyes."

She knew things didn't look good. But either way, Weiss wasn't telling this guy anything. She wasn't going to sacrifice the safety of her family's company to low life thugs like the White Fang.

"I'm not telling you anything." She said defiantly.

"Boy, you are a saucy one aren't you?" He asked. "Do you have a death wish? Don't think that I won't..."

Nico was interrupted by a spine chilling scream from across the hangar.

"MY LEG!" The thug screamed. "SOMETHING HIT MY LEG!"

Nico turned to Weiss and with a smile, said, "Now don't you move."

He left Weiss alone to join the others in the darkness of the hangar. She sat there, trying to figure out what was going on and how she could get herself out of this mess. She wiggled her wrists in an attempt to free herself, but to no avail.

Weiss was on the verge of giving up when she felt a strange breezy sensation on the back of her neck. She jumped when she heard a familiar voice whisper in her ear from behind her. "You look like you could use some help."

She couldn't turn her head to see him, but Weiss recognized the voice instantly. "Mason!" She whispered. "Please, get me out of here!" Tears were running down her cheek.

She felt his thumb brush away her tears. "Don't worry, Weiss, just stay calm. I'm gonna get you outta here, okay?"

"O...okay," She stammered. "Don't let him touch me again."

"I won't let him lay another finger on you," His voice was calm, soft, and reassuring. "Don't worry, sweetie, everything is gonna okay." She felt him kiss her gently on the cheek and a warm, comforting feeling coursed through her body.

Then, he was gone as another cool breeze grazed the back of her neck.

Almost immediately after Mason had disappeared, Nico had emerged from the darkness. "Find the bastard who did that!" He motioned toward Weiss. "It seems as if someone is here to try and rescue you." Nico walked over to a table and picked up a red staff with two blades on each end. "It's too bad there's not gonna be much left of you to rescue!"

Suddenly, the sounds of a struggle came from the shadows of the hangar and several thuds were heard, as if something fell to the floor. Nico turned and shouted into he shadows. "What's going on back there?!"

There was no response.

Nico was starting to get paranoid. "Come on out and face me, you bastard!"

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Mason's voice echoed in the rafters above them. "Didn't she ever teach you not to talk like that in front of a lady?"

"What did you do to my men?!" Nico shouted into the darkness of the ceiling.

Mason laughed. "Do you mean the guys I just knocked into last Tuesday?"

Nico growled. "Who are you?"

"The name's Mason Griffon." He said proudly. "And just who are you supposed to be? The leader of the Cupcake Warriors?"

"Shut up!" Nico shouted. "Come down here, or I'll bring you down myself!"

"Oh really?" Mason laughed again. "You and an army of unconscious half-wits?"

Nico roared and he walked toward Weiss. "Come down or I'll kill her!"

From out of nowhere, Mason flipped down from the rafters and landed between Nico and Weiss. In one fluid motion, he unleashed his claws in a shower of sparks.

"C'mon, just try and hurt her again. Make my day, buddy," Mason's voice grew deeper and angrier. "MAKE MY DAY!"

Nico swung his bladed staff at Mason and he swatted it away with his claws, sending sparks flying through the air. He kicked Nico in the stomach and knocked him backwards. Nico tried to swing again and Mason dodged it before slashing at him with his claws. He managed to evade Mason's attacks and hopped backward in an attempt to regain his bearings.

Mason, however, was relentless. He wasn't about to let this scumbag catch his breath and he kept the pressure on Nico. He retracted the set of claws on his left hand and activated the gauntlet's glove functionality. Now, he not only had to worry about Mason's claws, but also his raw punching power as well.

Nico was getting desperate. He crouched down and swept Mason's feet from under him, knocking him on his back. He raised his staff and prepared to drive it into Mason's heart, but before he could deliver the attack, Mason grabbed it with his gloved hand and wrenched it from Nico's hands.

He was now defenseless as Mason punched him in the chest, causing Nico to drop to the ground. Before he could react, Mason rolled over on top of Nico, pinning him to the ground.

"Why did you take Weiss, you little brat? Why do you want access to the Schnee Dust Factory?!"

"Hey, don't blame me," Nico answered. "I was under direct orders from Shaw! I don't know why he wants to access the factory!"

"Who's Shaw, your boss?!" Mason asked in a fury

Nico smiled. "I'm not telling you anything!"

Mason reared his metal fist back, threatening to flatten Nico.

"Okay, okay! Look, all I was told was to get the information out of her by any means necessary."

"I would love nothing more right now than to rip you apart," Mason snarled. "How DARE you lay a hand on her!"

Nico sadistically laughed. "You won't kill me. You don't have the stomach for iti!"

Mason grabbed Nico by the throat. "You're right, I'm not gonna kill you," He activated his steel glove. "But I AM gonna send you a message, you smug little punk."

"No, please don't!" Nico screamed as Mason reared his metal encased fist back and punched the concrete next to his face, leaving a deep crater in the ground.

"If you EVER come after Weiss again, this will be your face. Do you understand me?"

Nico frantically nodded his head.

"Good!" Mason smiled, "I'm glad we understand each other."

Nico looked like he was in a state of shock.

Mason got to his feet and before he made his way back over to Weiss, he stood over Nico once more.

"Oh, and one more thing," Mason said before kicking Nico in the crotch, leaving hm howling in pain. "That's for putting your hands on her."

He left Nico on the ground as he passed out from the pain of being kicked in the family jewels. Mason walked over to Weiss and smiled. He used his claws to cut her free from her bonds.

As soon as she was free, Weiss leapt onto Mason, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Thank you!" She said, burying her head in Mason's shoulder. "I didn't think I was going to make it."

Mason gently hugged her back. "I wouldn't let you down, Weiss."

"I know." She whispered.

Mason shook his head. "Maybe If I'd moved a little faster, then I might have stopped him before he..."

Weiss wouldn't let him finish his sentence. She pulled back from her hug and entrapped his lips in a passionate kiss.

At first, Mason was completely taken by surprise. But after a moment, he closed his eyes and pulled her in even closer.

The moment seemed to last a lifetime before Weiss slowly pulled away, leaving Mason speechless.

"I wish I could've done that sooner." Weiss said as she wrapped her arms around him once again.

"Hey," Mason laughed as he hugged her back. "How many people can say they shared their first kiss together in an active White Fang hideout?"

She smiled. "I'm guessing we're the _only _ones who can say that."

Mason wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close. "What do you say we get back home?"

Weiss picked up Myrtenaster as she and Mason passed the table. "I think that's a brilliant idea, but how exactly do we do that?"

Mason laughed. "I can get us there, no problem."

Mason and Weiss walked out of the hangar, headed for the Bullhead on the roof of the main building.

* * *

**A/N: Wowzers! Thank you so much if you managed to stick it out to the end of this chapter! For as long as it is, it was so much easier to write than any of the others so far. Anyway, thanks for reading! As always, drop me a message or comment to let me know how I'm doing, or even if you just want to chat, that's cool too! I always love talking with everybody! See you next time!**


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